This week’s feature completes my series of interviews with the nominees for State Auditor from all three of Missouri’s established parties. Susan Montee is the Democratic nominee and has served as Buchanan County’s Auditor since 2000. Both prior and during her first term as county Auditor, Ms. Montee served on the St. Joseph City Council.

She became a Certified Public Accountant in 1985 and completed her law degree in 2000. She has degrees from both Drury College (Accounting) and the University of Missouri – Kansas City (Law).

Visit the "Past Articles" page to view interviews with Ms. Montee’s opponents, Republican Sandra Thomas and Libertarian Charles Baum.

1) Why have you decided to seek the office of Missouri State Auditor?

Montee: "Missouri needs an experienced, independent State Auditor who will shine a light on waste, fraud and abuse in government wherever it is found. As a CPA and attorney, I am uniquely qualified to do this."

2) What role and influence should the Auditor have in Missouri's government?

Montee: "The State Auditor should be the watchdog, looking at every area of Missouri government to make sure that we are using every tax dollar efficiently. The State Auditor should be someone who can work with other parts of the government to help them make changes when necessary; further, the State Auditor should be prepared to use the media and other means to motivate change when it is too slow."

3) What should Missouri's taxpayers expect from the performance of themstate's Auditor?

Montee: "Missourians should know that their State Auditor is an expert in her field. If elected, I will be the first Auditor in state history to be both a CPA and attorney. They should expect me to aggressive in seeking, revealing and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government."

4) Which changes, if any, would you implement into the structure and/or operations of the Auditor's office if elected?

Montee: "Because of my background in both accounting and the law, I will be in a unique position to strike the right balance between performance and purely financial audits."

5) Which areas of Missouri government and government contracting, if any, will be your top priorities for audits or investigations if elected?

Montee: "I have announced my intent to implement a ‘Safe Schoolyards Initiative’ that will review the Safe Schools Act and other laws and programs designed to keep our schools safe.

"I will ensure that lottery funds go to schools instead of for gifts, trips and other perks for Missouri State Lottery bureaucrats.

"Starting with an audit of the state's policies and procedures, I will protect the personal information and privacy of all Missouri citizens.

"I will audit Missouri's sex offender registry using sophisticated mapping software to make sure sex offenders live further than 500 feet from schools, playgrounds and daycare centers."

6) Given the recent conflicts between the Auditor's and Governor's offices, how would you approach working with other government officials - officials you may be called on to audit in the future?

Montee: "I believe in approaching each audit with a fresh eye. We'll start with a spirit of cooperation, gather all pertinent information, and let the data speak for itself. Once the data is in hand, we will work with each governmental entity, the legislature, and Missouri's voters (through direct contact and the media) to create whatever change most benefits Missouri."

7) What are the "red flags" you, as Auditor, would watch for when deciding which audits and investigations to pursue?

Montee: "Many audits are responsive in nature and events often signal that an audit should be performed. We will go an extra step in my office, implementing a liaison system to work with counties and governmental bodies so that problems can be identified and addressed as early as possible, before they grow too large."

8) What experience and qualities sets you apart from the other candidates in this race?

Montee: "I will be the only State Auditor in history who is both a CPA and attorney.

"As a CPA, my experience is much broader than any other candidate in the race. Over the last 20 years, I have worked for one of the largest CPA firms in the world, run a private practice, and performed the accounting function for two successful businesses my husband and I founded. For the last six years, I have been the County Auditor for Buchanan County; in that time, I have taken the county from pen and paper bookkeeping to modern accounting practices and computerized systems."