As voters consider the pros and cons of three state initiatives on this year’s ballot, we can report that one of the measures they approved last year is off to a good start.
Initiative 900, which passed with nearly 57 percent of the vote, gave the state auditor authority to conduct performance audits of all public agencies and programs, state and local. It also gave him the money to do it – about $10 million a year.
State Auditor Brian Sonntag, who had been pushing for meaningful performance audits for more than a decade, has moved aggressively to create a performance audit work plan that’s open and thorough. He says performance audits should be seen as a management tool that offers concrete suggestions for improving government, and allows citizens to assess how their government is doing.
He started by asking citizens in focus groups and town meetings where the focus of his audits should be. He was told that accountability was the most significant issue facing government, and that K-12 education, transportation and health and social services were the most important places to start.
Sonntag expects to have at least two performance audits completed by the end of this year – examinations of the state motor pool and of how debts are collected by seven of the state’s biggest agencies. Soon, several hot-button topics will be assessed, including:
* The Department of Health’s professional licensing program (requested by Gov. Chris Gregoire).
* School districts’ administrative costs and travel practices.
* Purchasing by state agencies.
* Local governments’ overtime and take-home vehicle practices.
* Sound Transit’s light rail project management.
* Several Department of Transportation topics, including inventory and project management, state ferries, administrative and overhead operations, and highway efficiency. The latter will include a detailed look at the efficiency of I-5 from Marysville to Tacoma.
Already, Sonntag’s efforts have caused some official discomfort. At a recent meeting with some legislative transportation leaders, the auditor’s office was accused of being on a “witch hunt” and of trying to carry out an unspecified political agenda. Sonntag held his ground against the baseless allegations, and Gregoire made clear her support for his efforts, directing agency heads to cooperate fully.
Performance audits, done well, will improve government and increase public confidence in it. In turn, that should increase the public’s willingness to pay for needed investments. If that makes some elected officials squirm in the short-term, that’s OK. It’s probably a sign that government is becoming more transparent.
Sonntag’s office is breaking ground nationally with this mandate and the funding to support it. After several performance audits have been completed, and positive changes are made, Washington could become a model of government accountability.
That’s something for elected officials to cheer, not fear.
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