Massachusetts State Auditor

Template:Short description The state auditor of Massachusetts is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Twenty-six individuals have occupied the office of state auditor since the office's creation in 1849. The incumbent is Diana DiZoglio, a Democrat.

Election

Term of office

The state auditor is elected by the people on Election Day in November to four-year terms, and takes office on the third Wednesday of the January following a general election. There is no limit to the number of terms a state auditor may hold. Institutionally speaking, the state auditor is thus completely independent of both the governor and General Court for the purpose of performing their official duties. These constitutional protections notwithstanding, the state auditor may still be impeached for misconduct or maladministration by the House of Representatives and, if found guilty, removed from office by the Senate.

Qualifications

Any person seeking election to the office of state auditor must meet the following requirements:

1. Be at least eighteen years of age;
2. Be a registered voter in Massachusetts;
3. Be a Massachusetts resident for at least five years when elected; and
4. Receive 5,000 signatures from registered voters on nomination papers.

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the office of state auditor, the General Court is charged, if in session, with electing from among the eligible citizens of the Commonwealth a successor to serve the balance of the prior auditor's term in office.Template:Efn If, however, the vacancy occurs while the General Court is not in session, then responsibility for appointing a successor falls to the governor. The appointment is not valid without the advice and consent of the Governor's Council.

Powers and duties

The state auditor conducts independent and objective performance audits of each department, office, commission, agency, authority, institution, court, county, and any other activity of the Commonwealth, including programs and contractors of the foregoing entities, at least once in every three fiscal years. By virtue of this same mandate, the state auditor may also audit any city, town, or school district upon request of the governing body thereof or pursuant to a petition of the residents from the locality concerned.Template:Efn

In addition to performance audits, the Office of the State Auditor provides other assurance services to citizens and taxpayers alike. For instance, the state auditor investigates alleged or suspected instances of welfare fraud in social safety net programs. Moreover, the state auditor ascertains whether state laws impose burdensome mandates on local governments, reviews proposals from state agencies to privatize services, and monitors the ownership, organization, and financial condition of private occupational schools operating in Massachusetts.

Functional responsibilities aside, the state auditor chairs the Municipal Finance Oversight Board and is a member of the Advisory Board to the Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth. The former considers applications from local governments to use the Commonwealth's bond rating to finance capital improvement projects, land acquisition, and emergency repairs. By using the state's bond rating, municipalities can secure lower interest rates, thereby saving taxpayer money. The latter, on the other hand, advises the comptroller of the Commonwealth in the performance of their duties, approves accounting standards promulgated by the comptroller prior to their implementation, and reviews both the statewide single audit and the annual comprehensive financial report for the Commonwealth as prepared by the comptroller's office.

List of State Auditors of Massachusetts

#	Auditor	Picture	Term	Party
1	David Wilder Jr.		1849–1854	Whig
2	Joseph Mitchell		1854–1855
3	Stephen N. Gifford	File:Picture of Stephen Nye Gifford.png	1855–1856	Whig
4	Chandler R. Ranson		1856 – January 20, 1858
5	Charles White		January 20, 1858 – 1861
6	Levi Reed		1861 – December 20, 1865	Republican
7	Julius L. Clarke		December 1865 – 1866
8	Henry S. Briggs	File:Brig Gen Henry S. Briggs.png	1866–1870
9	Charles Endicott	File:Charles Endicott.png	1871–1876
10	Julius L. Clarke		1876 – May 5, 1879
11	Charles R. Ladd	File:1873 Charles Rensselaer Ladd Massachusetts House of Representatives.png	May 5, 1879 – 1891
12	William D. T. Trefry	File:William D.T. Trefry.png	1891–1892	Democratic
13	John W. Kimball	File:John W Kimball.png	1892–1901	Republican
14	Henry E. Turner	File:Henry E Turner.png	1901–1911
15	John E. White	File:John E. White.png	July 6, 1911 – 1914
16	Frank H. Pope	File:1908 Frank Pope Massachusetts House of Representatives.png	1914–1915	Democratic
17	Alonzo B. Cook	File:Alonzo B. Cook.png	1915–1931	Republican
18	Francis X. Hurley	File:Francis X. Hurley.png	1931–1935	Democratic
19	Thomas H. Buckley		1935–1939
20	Russell A. Wood	File:1911 Russell Wood Massachusetts House of Representatives.png	1939–1941	Republican
21	Thomas J. Buckley		1941 – September 10, 1964	Democratic
22	Thaddeus M. Buczko	File:Thaddeus Buczko (48265067096).jpg	September 24, 1964 – 1981
23	John J. Finnegan	File:John J. Finnegan.png	1981–1987
24	A. Joseph DeNucci	File:1983 A Joseph DeNucci Massachusetts House of Representatives.png	1987–2011
25	Suzanne Bump	File:Suzanne M. Bump official photo 3 (cropped).jpg	2011–2023
26	Diana DiZoglio	File:Diana DiZoglio, State Auditor.png	2023–present

External links

• . (Various documents).