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Saving Tax Dollars
with Performance Audits
By Representative Richard Adams
District 79
Every Ohioan can agree that making state government more cost-effective
is a worthwhile objective. No one wants to see their taxes squandered
on inefficient government services. I have witnessed many occasions
where tax dollars were wasted simply due to disorganization, money that
could have been invested in our schools or other services. It is my
hope that during this General Assembly, we can eliminate unnecessary
spending that has dampened our state government.
The Ohio House has already spearheaded this initiative with the recent
passage of House Bill 2. Garnering unanimous bipartisan support, House
Bill 2 requires certain state agencies to undergo a performance audit
every two years. The Ohio Auditor of State, Dave Yost, will conduct
these audits to evaluate the spending practices and management
efficiency of state-funded agencies. With the results of the audit, we
can save taxpayer money and improve our state government. This effort
will also cut unnecessary red tape from state agencies, rendering them
more accessible to the public.
House Bill 2 was previously introduced in March 2009 of the last
General Assembly. The legislation was drafted with input from current
Auditor Yost and former Auditor Mary Taylor. Out of this collaboration
came a long-term solution as we face an $8 billion budget gap, allowing
us to make each dollar go further so we might avoid even more painful
spending cuts elsewhere.
The advantage of House Bill 2 is that it will help to balance the
budget without cutting vital government services or raising taxes. It
will make do with already-available resources that currently are not
being utilized. Auditor Yost will pinpoint pockets of waste that spend
tax dollars but have little-to-no productive purpose. With this
information, your legislators will be in the position to restructure
state agencies and save valuable tax dollars.
Ultimately, state government exists to serve the people. All of us pay
taxes, and we deserve to get the best return on our investment. State
agencies that fail to measure up to this standard need to be reformed,
so they will not only be cost-efficient, but also more effective for
those who rely on their services. Auditor Yost has testified that
performance audits can eliminate millions in unnecessary spending after
the government implements their suggested reforms. I know that all of
us in Miami and Darke counties would be pleased to see our tax money
more prudently spent.
In the near future, I hope to be voting on more legislation aimed to
fix our budgetary problems. House Bill 2 is a great start, but the
state legislature must enact further fiscal policy to confront
our financial issues. During this General Assembly, I am pushing
legislation that will lead to a balanced budget, a strong economy,
including more jobs and an efficient state government. This triple
objective will ensure that all Ohioans are able to enjoy the economic
prosperity that they deserve.
As your state representative, your input is vital to my work in
Columbus. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your concerns or
suggestions about House Bill 2 or any other matter. It is my job to
represent the best interests of the citizens in the 79th House
District. I can only do this through your continued involvement in our
state government. Please join me in the effort to better our
communities and safeguard Ohio’s future.
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