Is one state fiscal watchdog enough?

SPRINGFIELD - Talk about killing the messenger.

State Comptroller Dan Hynes has lately been the bearer of bad budget news. And if one Buffalo Grove lawmaker gets his way, Illinoisans will get a chance to put Hynes out of his job.

Republican state Rep. Sydney Mathias has proposed a constitutional amendment that would get rid of the comptroller and shift his duties onto the state treasurer.

"With today's budgetary concerns, I think one officeholder can do both jobs," Mathias said.

Currently the comptroller pays the state's bills out of money held and managed by the treasurer. Hynes announced last week Illinois is $9 billion in the red.

In the coming months, state officials are going to have to either cut a lot or raise taxes substantially, or possibly both.

Cutting and merging departments is one way to start digging out of that budget hole, Mathias said.

"It's very important to cut spending before we look at raising revenue," Mathias said. "We need to find many more solutions like this."

Hynes actually supports the move to eliminate his office. Since taking charge in 1999, Hynes has tried to get lawmakers to save money by merging the comptroller and treasurer and eliminating duplicate staff positions.

In the past decade, Hynes has cut his office staff from 339 employees to 267, and reduced his budget from $33 million to $25 million, according Hynes spokeswoman Carol Knowles.

A spokesman for Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said he had not studied the proposal but was intrigued.

"Given the state's financial condition, it would be irresponsible not to take a look at something that could save the state money," said spokesman Scott Burnham.

But if the comptroller is eliminated, Burnham wants to be sure it's done right.

"We need more checks and balances, not fewer," Burnham said. "The state certainly cannot afford to risk losing any financial oversight of its money."

Mathias said he's not worried about having one less person watching over the state's money. Mathias, a Republican, sits on the state audit commission and said he is confident the auditor general would catch any malfeasance.

Among the other large states, Texas and New York both elect comptrollers that have the combined duties of the Illinois comptroller and treasurer, Florida has a single chief financial officer, while California continues to separately elect a controller and treasurer.

If the General Assembly approves the proposal, Illinois voters would still have final say on whether the comptroller is eliminated.