Madison County auditor applicant cites elections experience, transparency plans in supervisor interview

An applicant for the temporary Madison County auditor position told Madison County supervisors during a public interview that she has more than two decades of local residency and extensive experience in property and asset management, and pledged to prioritize transparency, election integrity and budget discipline.

"The most attractive characteristic of this job is that it is a job that needs to be done now, and it needs to be done right and well," the applicant said, describing how she moved into county work as a board clerk and that she "fell in love with the work." She told the panel she holds an MBA with an emphasis in finance and that she has direct experience with budgets, payroll, claims and county audits.

Why it matters: The auditor's office oversees financial reporting, custodial records, and the county's role in administering elections. The position is temporarily filled from a vacancy and will be placed on the ballot next year; the panel indicated it plans to deliver a selection on Thursday.

On elections, the applicant said she would work closely with the elections deputy to ensure staff training and said she would "be sure that I was present through the entire process from beginning to end." She described recent hands-on tasks in the primary and general elections, including testing voting machines and entering absentee ballot information.

The applicant framed transparency as proactive communication: she proposed regular updates for elected officials and said she would use her office to provide accurate, timely information to other departments to reduce errors that can trigger expensive audits. "I might want to speak to it before it actually becomes a problem," she said, describing a plan to give reports to supervisors every two weeks.

On records and confidentiality, she cited familiarity with the Freedom of Information Act and referenced "section 22 7" for confidential information, saying she would escalate difficult redaction questions rather than make unilateral decisions. She also said she previously worked with the county attorney on a draft FOIA policy, log and employee education materials.

When asked what she could do to help lower property taxes, the applicant said the auditor's office can only control its own expenses but can reduce county costs by eliminating data errors, improving procedures and reducing staff turnover — which she identified as the county's largest expense.

The applicant disclosed prior traffic citations and acknowledged a personal DUI seven years earlier, saying she owns that mistake and added that she has never been professionally reprimanded.

Panel member remarks during the interview reiterated that the appointment is temporary and must be decided publicly and placed on the ballot next year; the panel told applicants it intends to announce its decision Thursday afternoon.

The interview concluded with thanks from both sides; no formal vote was recorded at the session.