Columbus - True to his word, Auditor of State Dave Yost today released a Request for Proposals for a performance audit of the Auditor of State’s office, following through on his pledge to serve as an independent guardian of the public interest and setting the example to show the effectiveness of performance audits.
 
“People are tired of government telling them to do what it’s not willing to do itself,” said Auditor Yost.  “It’s time to turn the table and lead by example.  My office will be the first state agency during my tenure to be evaluated through a performance audit, and I look forward to learning where we might better streamline our operations.”
 
Currently being considered by the legislature are House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 4, both which will require a performance audit of certain state agencies each biennium. Auditor Yost has voiced his support for both bills and believes performance audits will “skinny down” government by helping agencies identify waste, inefficiency or duplication of services.  
 
The performance audit of the Auditor of State’s office will focus primarily on the office’s business operations and finances to ensure the best use of available resources and that the office reflects best practices in the audit field.  
 
All proposals are due to the Auditor of State’s office by March 7, 2011. Proposals will be reviewed and scored by a selection committee comprised of Brenda Rinehart, Chief of Staff of the Auditor of State’s office; Michael Grodhaus, Chief Legal Counsel for the Governor’s Office; and Laura Hay, CPA of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.  Results are due 120 calendar days from the date of the contract award.  
 
Further information concerning the Request for Proposals and other information pertaining to performance audit legislation can be found online.

The Auditor of State is one of five independently elected offices under the Ohio Constitution. Auditor Yost’s office is responsible for auditing over 5,600 state and local government agencies. Staff also works in partnership with state and local governments to deal effectively with financial, accounting and budgetary issues.

Contact:
Carrie Bartunek
Press Secretary
Auditor of State
(614) 728-7198