Q&A with Julian
1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what? What will be your main priority?
As a business-owner and vested member of the county, I want to offer a choice in this election for auditor. I have executive management experience leading over 100 employees in accounting, HR, legal, claims, customer service and IT, and managed over $100 million in corporate and premium accounting. I have run my own business since 2002. Over the past 20 years, I have had the opportunity to work for large companies taking on increasingly more challenging roles. I feel I have the technical background, experience in accounting management, and managerial skill to successfully lead the auditing operations for McHenry County.
2. For incumbents and non-incumbents. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.
More transparency to county government finances and resource management by making transactions and information public. Develop expense and operational guidelines for all county departments to include travel policies and appropriate expense and resource management. Hold county departments accountable to their budgets.
3. The county board and auditor's office clashed in recent years over whether the board has the authority to order or request the office to conduct specific audits and whether the auditor has the authority to refuse those requests. Do you believe the office should conduct audits at the behest of the county board? Explain.
Specific audits should be allowed based on need.
4. Two years ago, the county board considered a measure that would have asked voters whether the county should retain the auditor's position or eliminate it and roll its responsibilities into the county finance department. Explain whether this is an idea worth pursuing - and what effect the loss of the position would have on the county government.
The audit function is supposed to be independent of the Finance group so an "unbiased" assessment can be made of all functions. This separation of duties is part of the check and balance system in any organization to ensure accuracy, support record-keeping and keep all parties honest.
5. Before the primary, questions surfaced over the appropriateness of petty cash spending within the state's attorney's office. Should the auditor's office have taken more control over how tax money was expended within the department? Or should each elected official have total control over the dollars within his or her budget? Specifically, define how you view the auditor's oversight responsibility.
The auditor's office should already have a standard procedure in place on how to handle questionable expenses - this document should be approved by the board and delivered to all departments. The auditor's office should have caught the excessive expenses and denied them. Lastly, the state's attorney's office should reimburse the taxpayers. Everyone in any organization needs some oversight.
6. What would you do to improve the effectiveness of the position?
See no. 2 and 5 above.
7. Not including those issues already identified above, is there another issue you believe will affect the auditor's office over the next four years? If so, define it and explain how you would like to see it addressed.
If we can improve transparency for taxpayers, establish standard procedures for handling expenses and hold departments accountable to their budgets then we will have a good start. The single biggest issue on the horizon is probably the devaluation of homes in the county leading to much lower tax receipts and lower revenues. Expense control will be key in the next 4 years.
8. Please list the names of all relatives employed by or involved in contracts with McHenry County, their relationship to you and their position or area of business.
None.