The position of Jefferson County Auditor is usually an unheralded one, but that hasn’t been the case lately.
Four years ago, political newcomer Richard Carter III, a Republican, upset longtime incumbent Auditor Dorothy Stafford, a Democrat.
Last summer, Carter announced that he would not seek a second four-year term. He resigned in late May after the County Council approved a budget amendment that he said could not be enacted. County Executive Ken Waller then appointed his chief deputy auditor, Kristy L. Apprill, to serve out the rest of the term.
Apprill, who has worked in the office for 19 years, had announced that she would run for the office soon after Carter said he would not seek another term.
She faces a challenge in the Nov. 6 general election from Democrat Charles Huey, a frequent candidate.
The auditor is paid a salary of $81,149 a year.
APPRILL, 43, lists her address as P.O. Box 2508, Hillsboro. She and her husband, Christopher, have three children. She earned an associate degree from Jefferson College, a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in auditing and forensic accounting from Kaplan University in 2013 and is pursuing a master’s degree in forensic accounting from Webster University.
Social media: Facebook: Apprill 4 Auditor or Kristy Apprill
HUEY, 34, lives at 1336 DeBeth Lane, Arnold. He and his wife, Becky, have two children. He is the president of Huey Industries. He is a graduate of Chaffee High School and the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy. He is a former Democratic committeeman for Windsor Township. He was a member of the Chaffee planning and zoning board from 2004-2006 and on a tax committee for Scott County in 2007 and 2008. He has been a member of the Elks since 2005 and was president of the VFW men’s auxiliary from 2011-2012.
Social media: Facebook: Charles Huey for Jefferson County Auditor
What are the auditor’s duties? Why are you qualified to carry them out?
Apprill: The auditor’s duties are to monitor the revenues and expenditures of the county and review the monthly financial activity of each department. The auditor also monitors compliance with internal control procedures, reviews purchase orders and accounts payable activities, monitors and evaluates the county budget and condition of the funds. Our office also maintains property records and conducts physical inventories. My years of experience and my education make me qualified to carry out these duties. As an auditor I have a job to do and I take that job very seriously.
Huey: The role of the auditor has many important factors that play a part in the day-to-day operation of the county. This position works to improve the county operations, evaluate risk management and keep officeholders accountable. The auditor has the responsibility to have strategic input and the uses of checks and balances to assure compliance through evaluation. The auditor oversees the inventory throughout the county to make sure everything is accounted for.
What would you do to improve public access to data controlled by your office?
Apprill: When I became auditor, one of my goals was to make information such as the approved budget and the annual financial statements more accessible by adding it to the office’s website. This goal has already been accomplished. I am working to update the remainder of the site and add additional data.
Huey: The public is my boss. Any time that the people want to see how their money is spent, they can call or come in the office and I will see that they get the information that they want. I will also place quarterly reports in the paper to tell the public where their money is going. I will also place it monthly on the county website. It is my job to make sure that the people understand how their money is being used.
What would you do to improve customer service?
Apprill: The Auditor’s Office has always tried to maintain a friendly, open-door policy. We handle all phone calls and e-mails, no matter if they are internal or external, with the utmost professionalism and we do our due diligence to always provide an answer. I would ensure that the office maintains this standard of customer service.
Huey: I will see that every department under my scope will have a full audit done and all findings will be publicized in the paper. I will develop a new strategic plan to make each department operate more efficiently and effectively. As the auditor, it is my job to make sure that every last dollar is spent according to what it was intended for.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Apprill: Voters should elect me because of my 19 years of experience in governmental accounting, my education in accounting, auditing and forensic accounting and my passion for the job. I have always been and will continue to be in the field, working alongside my staff. A few of my goals are to establish a fraud hotline for reporting presumed misuse of county resources, to help educate the public by making information available on our website, and to implement auditing software to help streamline our audit and risk-assessment process.
Huey: The office is a critical component to ensuring county resources are being used for their intended purpose in accordance with policies and procedures. I do not see any evidence that an audit has been done on any department since Mrs. Stafford was auditor. Vote for me if you want all departments to have a complete audit and to know that your money is being looked after. I will make sure that people know where their money is going by making sure the monthly and quarterly reports are placed on the website and in the paper.