Bexley's Issue 25: Retain the Bexley Auditor Position

With all of the energy being expounded on the passage of Bexley's Issue 24, it's easy to forget that there are four other issues on the ballot specific to Bexley.  These issues are all tied to the work of Bexley's Charter Review Commission.  The Charter Review Commission is formed about once a decade to review Bexley's city charter and to recommend changes to be placed on the ballot.  This group did a great job - they were hard working, meeting something like every Monday for months on end, and they were very thorough in their research and thought process.  While I voted for all of their recommendations to be placed on the ballot for consideration by Bexley voters, I do disagree with their recommendation to replace the Auditor position with an appointed Finance Director position.  Here's an exposition of my stance, from a letter to the editor I just submitted:

"On November 8th, Bexley residents will be asked to weigh in on the value of having an elected, independent city Auditor. I am writing to express my support for the office of Auditor in the City of Bexley. I believe that the Auditor's office has an important role to play as an independent, third-party participant in Bexley government.

As chair of council's finance committee I have taken comfort in the knowledge that the Auditor is a resource for financial information and advice that I can rely upon to be independent and unmoved by inappropriate outside pressures, whether they be from council, the administration, or elsewhere.

 No system is without its downsides, and I understand that the recommendations provided by the hard-working members of the charter review commission (all of whom I appreciate and respect greatly) are intended to solve some legitimate problems in the way that the city conducts its finance function. Nonetheless, as a council member I value and rely upon the independence an Auditor provides, and I appreciate the productive tension that results from a system that is constantly being well-honed by proper checks and balances.

 I highly encourage residents to become familiar with this issue, and to uphold the office of Bexley's Auditor on November 8th."