Auditors - Not just a bunch of nerds

What is the County Auditor SUPPOSED to do? Leah Anderson, the Republican Candidate for Minnehaha Auditor, gives us a PSA so we know what to look for in November.

What Does The County Auditor Do?

County auditors in South Dakota have a lot of responsibility. They not only run elections, but also provide financial oversight for their counties. Communication, accounting, auditing, customer service, records management, dispute resolution, and crisis intervention are all part of the day to day job.

The auditor is responsible for handling voter registration and elections. This includes:

• running election day voting

• supervising vote tabulation and recording

• result submission

• archiving voting records

• sending and processing absentee ballots

• providing support for voting in retirement homes.

The auditor also is the tax watchdog for the people. He/she audits requests for tax dollars to make sure they meet the criteria for tax allocation. In addition, he/she verifies the amount of tax being levied meets the legal requirements for South Dakota. 

The auditor is a watchdog and not a bloodhound. — Lord Justice Topes

In addition, the auditor keeps county records, acts as a bookkeeper for county business, and handles payroll for the county. Some of the records include documents and minutes from county commission meetings. The auditor also is responsible for scheduling commission meetings, preparing agendas for these meetings, following up on commission decisions through letters and memoranda, preparing the county budget, and auditing the county expenditures. In addition, the auditor keeps financial records and pays bills for a number of “outside” agencies such as park districts, health departments, soil and water conservation districts, and regional planning commissions. 

I look forward to serving you as the next Minnehaha County Auditor! (If you’d like to help me get there, please VOTE in November, and help pick up the tab.)

Thanks, Leah

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