I am running for State Auditor because I feel this office aligns exceptionally well with my background and skills. I am not a politician by trade, but I feel that the office of State Auditor should not be a political position – this role is designed to serve the interests of the people of Minnesota, not the interests of the government or any political party.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MN STATE AUDITOR
1. Audit Practice Division
– performs approximately 150 financial and compliance audits and reviews 500 single audits per year.
The entities being audited are either run by Democrats or Republicans; in order to maintain audit impartiality, it makes sense for the State Auditor to come from a party that does not have a predetermined agenda to be positioned as a friend or enemy of the entity being audited. In addition, I worked for Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young prior to becoming self-employed, and part of my responsibilities was to assist with audits of Pension and Retirement plans. While the subject matter of the audits may be different, the essential components of how audits are executed are the same.
2. Constitutional Office
– oversees all the activities of the Office of the State Auditor and its divisions and supports the State Auditor serving on six boards for the State.
This function is the internal administration of the office itself. I have been self-employed for 17 years, thus am very familiar with what it takes to run an organization. Prior to that, I held multiple senior leadership roles in the companies where I worked. In addition, I have served on multiple Boards of Directors and am very familiar with the requirements and operating procedures of being a board member.
3. Gov Information Division
– collects and analyzes local government financial data, which is assembled in regular reports provided to the Legislature and the public. It also conducts a Best Practices Review of local government operations.
As a consultant over the last 30 years, a key component of many of my projects has been to collect and analyze data and present the findings in executive summaries and/or business case presentations to key stakeholders. This experience translates directly to the requirements of this division.
4. Legal/Special Investigations Division
– investigates allegations of theft or misuse of public funds.
As a Libertarian, this aspect of the office is very appealing to me. I will be exceptionally aggressive in identifying instances of theft or misuse of our tax dollars. While the State Auditor does not have the ability to reduce the State’s budget, they do have the ability to identify and publicize instances where public employees are abusing their roles.
5. Pension Division
– reviews investment, financial, and actuarial reporting for about 700 public pension plans. Its objective is to ensure compliance with state statutes governing the administration of plans covering approximately 20,000 members.
With my background in Pension and Retirement plan operations and investments, this Division aligns perfectly with my experience. I have Series 2, 7, 63, and 66 Securities Licenses and have performed numerous Pension audits during my career. I also work with corporate retirement plans in analyzing investments and have run hundreds of pension actuarial valuations during my career.
6. Tax Increment Financing Division
– promotes legal compliance and accountability through examination and review of political subdivisions’ use of tax increment financing (TIF).
Ideally, tax increment financing should be eliminated; unfortunately that is not within the scope of the State Auditor’s office. However, similar to the Audit Practice and Legal/Special Investigations divisions, the responsibilities of this division are very well-aligned with my background and I would be very aggressive in examining TIF utilization.
THE PLATFORM
Tick Tock
Every candidate for State Auditor is going to say that they will be independent, accountable, and transparent. But how can someone from one of the major parties truly be independent?
The DFL and GOP control every aspect of government in our state. Shouldn’t the State Auditor be someone who is not affiliated with either of the two major parties? It’s time to bring true independence to the office of State Auditor.
Time’s Up!
As State Auditor, my most important responsibility would be to provide fiduciary oversight of government operations on behalf of the taxpayers of Minnesota. The office of State Auditor does not work for the government, it works for the people. The State Auditor reviews $20 billion in annual spending, and it would be my responsibility to ensure the taxpayers receive the maximum value for their investment. I would do everything within my authority to aggressively review and analyze all levels of municipal spending to identify areas of waste and inefficiency.
Vote for Chris Dock
I grew up in Woodbury and graduated from St. Olaf College where I majored in Mathematics and Economics. Before starting my own firm in 1998, I worked for the accounting and consulting firms of Deloitte & Touche, Watson Wyatt, and Ernst & Young. I have worked as a technology, Human Resources, and investment consultant for over 30 years, and I have direct skills in the areas required for the office of State Auditor – process, technology, finance, and investments.
This content was originally published at https://chrisdockforauditor.org/