Auditor General seeks 5% budget increase to fill vacancies, expand modernized audit work

Auditor General Timothy DeFoor told the House Appropriations Committee that the Department of the Auditor General is requesting roughly $48,000,000 for fiscal 2025–26, an increase the department describes as about $2,100,000 or 5.2% over the current level. "We are seeking a modest 5% increase for a budget, which will help us honor employee contractual obligations and allow us to continue our mission," DeFoor said during opening remarks.

The request is tied to staffing and operational needs: the office is authorized for a complement of 412 positions but reported 374 filled as of Feb. 17, 2025. Members pressed DeFoor on whether the requested increase would be sufficient to fill vacancies and cover salary and benefit changes; he replied that meeting the request should be enough for the current year and said his hope was to exceed it. Representative Brown noted the office's authorization and vacancy figures and that the requested funds would support hiring up to the authorized complement.

DeFoor described an ongoing internal transformation that he said has modernized auditing processes and helped the office produce more targeted work. He said the department now uses auditing software to organize work papers and has implemented limited-procedure and reduced-period engagements drawn from private-sector practices to focus resources on higher-risk areas. "We modernized our auditing technology ... which organizes all our auditing work papers, which is now 100%," DeFoor said.

Committee members asked about recruitment and retention. DeFoor cited a nationwide shortage of certified public accountants and said the office had reduced staff numbers through retirements; he described an ‘‘intern-to-hire’’ pipeline and targeted recruiting at state-system and community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, and other schools to build a more diverse workforce. He also said about 40% of current staff have 20 or more years of service, creating near-term turnover risk.

DeFoor and deputies said limited resources require prioritizing audits by risk and legal authority. Chairman Struzzi and other members expressed support for the office's work as a taxpayer watchdog and indicated they viewed the budget request as modest relative to the office's responsibilities.

Looking ahead, DeFoor said if the committee funds the request he expects the office's workload and staffing needs to remain under review and that next year's budget could rise if benchmarks are met.