Bay to Bay News | Point/Counterpoint
Response to McGuiness on inspector general
“As your State Auditor, my staff and I are steadfast supporters of any initiatives that would increase the transparency and accountability of our state. Delawareans have a right to good governance that is free of fraud, waste, or abuse, and I applaud this bipartisan effort. HB405 underlines a fundamental truth in our state; Delawareans deserve better.”
- This is a very interesting letter. While it makes mention of the state auditor conducting investigations of waste, fraud, abuse, and by inference mismanagement, under what authority is this happening? The state law creating the office of state auditor — Title 29 Chapter 29 — explicitly discusses doing audits, there’s no authority to conduct broad investigations. That seems like mission creep. In fact, one of the key points in the bill creating the office of inspector general is to provide the Office of the Inspector General with this authority so there is a clear delineation of responsibilities between these agencies and so the state auditor sticks to its mission which is auditing. — Keith Steck
Response to Kowalko on inspector general
“HB 405 provides for an independent and, importantly, nonpartisan inspector general, who is selected by an independent blue-ribbon panel of various community stakeholders. The claims by the auditor of accounts that “potential auditees or subjects of investigations” and “members of the political class” would “hand select the individual responsible for their oversight” is simply false and patently ignores the members of the public who represent the majority of the positions on the Selection Panel. There are other significant differences between the Delaware auditor of accounts and the proposed inspector general under HB 405.
- Exactly what we need! — Connie Merlet
Editor’s note: House Bill 405 was introduced April 28, reported out of the House Administration Committee and assigned to the House Appropriations Committee on June 16. House Amendment HA 1 to HB 405 was introduced and placed with the bill June 27.