Critics of the bill said that the legislation was politically motivated, as Iowa Auditor Rob Sand is the only Democrat to currently hold statewide elected office. (Photo illustration via Canva with screen shot of Sand courtesy of Iowa PBS)
Staff with the state auditor’s office said Wednesday that a Senate bill allowing state departments to employ an outside accountant to conduct required audits would result in higher costs and less accountability in state government.
Senate File 2311 would allow state agencies to employ a certified public accountant (CPA) to conduct their annual audit instead of the auditor’s office, with the provision that the results be submitted to the auditor of state.
Audits performed by CPAs would be paid for using the funds that would have been paid to the auditor’s office if it conducted the audit, or using funds approved by the Executive Council of Iowa.
Sen. Mike Bousselot, the bill’s author, said in a subcommittee meeting Wednesday that the measure will give state government more flexibility in conducting audits as the state faces a shortage of CPAs. Local governments and school districts are already able to go to private CPAs to conduct audits under state law, and Bousselot said the proposal was a way to bring “efficiency and effectiveness to state governments as well.”