Recently, I interviewed state Rep. Troy Kelley, who is running for the position of State Auditor, when he stopped by The Chronicle office. One reason he’s running, he told me, is because the position doesn’t open frequently — in the last 110 years, there have only been four state auditors.
“I think it’s a good fit for me,” the Tacoma Democrat said. “It’s the best way I can serve the public.”
Rep. Troy Kelley, D-Tacoma, candidate for state auditor
Kelley was elected to the state Legislature in 2006. He also serves as a JAG lieutenant colonel for the Washington National Guard and owns a business that keeps track of recorded documents.
In the Legislature, he chaired the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, for which he worked with current State Auditor Brian Sonntag to implement the rules of Initiative 900, a Tim Eyman-sponsored initiative which grants the Auditor’s office to audit any state agency, local government or public education institution.
Kelley said the law has been successfully implemented, but there are times in which the Legislature fails to act to make changes when there are findings.
He’s very open about which agencies he would audit: the Department of Social and Health Services is among them, largely because of issues with EBT cards.
“It’s not that I have an axe to grind,” Kelley said. “It’s not that I want to pick on the program, but these instances of abuse erode the public trust.”
He also listed cybersecurity as a concern — he would do performance audits of government computer systems, he said.
“Our systems might be great,” he said. “They might be 100 percent secure with no vulnerabilities. Or we might just be lucky.”
Kelley also said he would work to increase access to public records and proposes that executive sessions are recorded, so they can be reviewed if necessary.
“We need to be open and accessible,” he said. “Why is the state auditor involved? To keep the government open and transparent. If he or she doesn’t do it, then who will?”
Kelley said voters should elect him because of his background and experience, among other qualities.
“I’m happy to discuss any issues and the priorities I’ve implemented — which any candidate should be willing to talk about,” he said.
“And I have a reputation and history of building consensus.”
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Learn more about the candidates for state auditor:
Four seek state auditor seat as incumbent retires
Troy Kelley (D): www.troykelley.com
Mark Miloscia (D): www.markmiloscia.com
Craig Pridemore (D): www.craigpridemore.com
James Watkins (R): www.watkinsforauditor.com
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Bianca Fortis: (360) 807-8245, twitter.com/biancafortis and facebook.com/biancafortis