Issues

I will communicate in a professional manner to all employees of Beaufort County.  I will look to remove the barriers that have been put there by current county employees.  

I have been told by the county treasurer on October 20th,  she is will to communicate and work with me for the citizens of Beaufort.  This is great news.

I was the Deputy Auditor for Beaufort County for more than five years.  Never received any negative counseling's and was always awarded pay raises for my work. I filed a grievance (basic whistle Blower complaint) against the auditor for his actions internal and external to the office (mistreating women and employees by making them feel uncomfortable) and the grievance was certified by two other supervisors.  With no response from the auditor for more than 6 days, I received an letter in the mail stating I was let go for an email I sent out more than 80 days prior, that I did not include him on the To: line.

The email stated that "For employees to stop talking about supervisors or they MAY be fired" this is inline with the Employee Handbook.  I feel this was just an excuse because he did not want to address the grievance. 

In February 2021, I decided to run for the Auditor's office to help restore professionalism to this office. Shortly thereafter I setup my Facebook and Instagram page.   

Grievance_cvr_letter.pdf

Why are you running for the position of Auditor?
There are multiple reasons to run for the Auditor's position. First and foremost, I am running for the community. The Beaufort County taxpayers voted to keep the Auditor's office as an elected official's office. They deserve better than the current situation. I have a passion for communication, integrity, and high standards for excellence. I believe returning this office to the community by making it about the community and not the elected official in charge will return the trust and respect that the office is in dire need. This election is not the time to trivialize what the Auditor's office does. It is time to come together and make a cohesive team throughout the county offices for the benefit of the community.

What qualifications do you have that uniquely suit you for this position?
I have served my country for over thirty years in the military developing my leadership skills. I have worked in other county offices, including five years as the Deputy Auditor. The Deputy Auditor's position built my understanding of the integral parts of Beaufort County. I have completed compensation surveys and have set the Auditor's office up for the future. I established the Auditor's office 10- and 20-year plans to include growth, job descriptions, job qualifications, and job compensation for the office. I would love to see the plans through for the community and provide future guidance to make this office more vital to the county. My proven cooperation and the ability to build bridges within the county are an advantage.

What are the biggest opportunities facing the Auditor's office at this time?
The biggest opportunities facing the Beaufort County Auditor's office are restoring trust and accountability. When you surround yourself with good people who hold the same beliefs to work cohesively for the community's greater good, the results will be better than expected. We need to be forward-thinking and implement improvements with honesty and transparency.

Do you feel the level of transparency is sufficient concerning the Auditor's financial oversight, including the checks and balances currently in place to ensure accurate reporting of Beaufort County's finances? Why do you feel this way?
There is a lack of transparency concerning the Beaufort County Auditor's financial oversight. Much of the pessimism is the lack of understanding of the laws, roles, and responsibilities of the Auditor's office. The lack of knowledge of what the Auditor's office does can easily be repaired with open communication within the county offices and community. There must be give-and-take for the checks and balances, and we can accomplish this with team assignments that follow procedures of law. I know and understand the office's needs based on my experience as the Deputy Auditor. I have firsthand knowledge of how things flow when there is a collaboration from all offices within the county, which is currently missing.

Do you have any specific actions to implement to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Auditor's office and duties?
What must be implemented to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Beaufort County Auditor's office is training. With an ever-changing set of laws, we must train to keep employees and the community's understanding of the changes up to date. The current practice is a one-time training once initially hired. Training needs to be continuous with more on-the-job training. The office and its employees need to become resident experts in the mission of the Auditor's office and the rules that govern. Customer should feel reassured they have the most up-to-date and accurate information available. This will also build trust in the community that the Auditor's office has their best interests in hand when working on their tax accounts.

I am a believer that everyone has to come together and cooperate to help the public and get the work done in the county offices.  Unfortunately,  there are many people in leadership positions within the county, that have wanted to change the auditors office by reducing its power. This would be done by controlling its processes in the office, and essentially changing the form of government from within the county. 

I am the only candidate that is trained by the state and has working knowledge of the roles of the auditor.  I can prevent the change of government from within the county, by preventing undue influence on the auditors office.  I have proven expertise and professional leadership to stop this transition and in return, will keep the separation of powers.  In November,  70% of the voters voted to keep the powers separate and maintain the current form of government.   

I will not seek endorsements from other elected officials for my candidacy.  I am here for all the people of Beaufort County and not just a selected few.