Auditor General asks Legislature for pay increases, two FTEs to retain auditors and expand fraud detection

Auditor General Russell Olson told the Joint Legislative Appropriations Committee that the Legislative Audit office needs higher starting salaries, targeted merit increases and two additional full‑time positions to retain experienced staff and expand fraud detection and analytic work.

Olson said the office asked the executive board to increase the starting salary for an Auditor I from $62,000 to $64,000, to approve a performance pool that could provide raises up to 3.75 percent, and to continue bonuses tied to professional certifications. He said the executive board approved $124,342 in additional salary and benefit authority; the governor's recommended budget did not include those specific salary requests but did propose $319,452 and two additional FTE for Legislative Audit.

Why it matters: Olson said losing trained auditors makes it harder to operate the office and train new hires; Legislative Audit performs statewide financial and compliance audits, internal control reviews and special engagements that the office says improve government accountability…