Bruce C. Fogerty: Candidate profile

Bio

Party: Democratic

City: Wheaton

Office sought: DuPage County Auditor

Age: 55

Family: Wife Mary married 23 years; three grown kids, Seamus, Halley, Sarah

Occupation: Accounting Manager in industry. Former college instructor

Education: BA Political Science, Grand Valley State; MBA University of Illinois at Chicago; MSA (Tax) Northern Illinois University

Civic involvement: Literacy DuPage, Center for Economic Progress, DuPage PADS, Open House Chicago, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Democratic Precinct Committee Person, Wheaton Public Library Board, Wheaton North High School Marching Band volunteer

Elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were first elected: No

Website: http://linkedin.com/in/brucefogerty

Twitter: @BruceFogerty

Facebook: Bruce Fogerty Democrat for DuPage County Auditor 2020

Questions and Answers

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I am running because I believe the auditor's office is not living up to its full potential. Based upon the current published audit reports, I find the current work of the office to be lacking creativity, is not done in a systematic manner, and does little beyond the minimum required by state law.

2. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

I have 25 years of diverse experience in three different industries across several different businesses. I also have a substantial background in the academic world. I believe this diverse background will allow me to approach this job in a systematic way with a 360-degree view of financial, operational, and process control problems. I will bring a more creative and systematic approach to the work of the County Auditor.

My first priority would be to develop a strategic plan to audit outside the bare minimums required by state law. This strategic plan will be published. All county operations should be audited, not just the required audits of claims, revenues, and assets.

If elected, I will publish audit reports, appropriately redacted, including the results of operational and financial audits. Currently only reports of small-scale audits and the audits required by law are published. The State of Illinois and The Federal Government publish their reports. DuPage County should do so as well.

If elected, I will develop a public relations strategy to help DuPage residents understand the role and importance of a strong audit function in the auditor's office.

3. What special qualifications does a county auditor need that may not apply to other county offices? What professional qualifications or experiences do you possess that will help ensure your success as auditor?

The auditor's office requires a true accounting and business professional who can bring a multidisciplinary approach to business, accounting, systems, and operational problems. It also requires a certain skepticism - that there may be holes in the current way of doing things.

I believe my vast experience in a number of industries gives me a varied perspective on the operational and financial processes the County uses. I also have passed two professional exams, (CPA - inactive, and the CTP - also inactive). My graduate degrees in business, accounting, and taxation are also relevant.

4. To what extent must an auditor remain independent of other county offices and officials, and how will you ensure the appropriate level of independence in this office?

Auditor independence if paramount. If elected, I will conduct the office in a nonpartisan manner. My entire focus will be process compliance and risk abatement.

I will also develop a public relations strategy to help DuPage residents understand the role and importance of a strong audit function in the auditor's office. One feature will be regular public meetings and to establish a relationship with the press. This, I feel, will enhance the visibility and the independence of the office. And will allow the public to be more informed of the operational and process risks facing the County.

5. Describe your position regarding the allocation of resources in the auditor's office. Are personnel allocated as they should be? Are there capital expense or other budgetary items that the office must address, and, if so, how do you propose to address them?

I don't believe the auditor's office is appropriately funded. With a budget of $ 578 K on a county budget of $ 475.2 M, this translates to about one tenth of one percent of the county budget. This is a paltry sum relative to the scale of the office's responsibilities.

With relatively modest increases in funding, a more robust audit function could be developed. For example, scheduled data feeds from the county's information systems into software tools could allow for a regular search for operational anomalies requiring further investigation