Pam Palmer Announces Re-Election Campaign for County Auditor

A press release from McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer:

Pam Palmer Announces Candidacy for Re-Election

Pam Palmer

Pam Palmer

I am pleased to announce my intent to run for re-election as McHenry County Auditor.

After previously spending 20 years in financial operations within the banking industry, I was hired as the Chief Deputy Auditor in 1998.

I was appointed as County Auditor in early 2006 and then later that year, voted in during the General Election. In the following elections of 2008 and 2012, I was re-elected.

Being the County Auditor requires the following major traits:

  • strong leadership skills
  • experience in accounting and auditing
  • close attention to detail
  • professional decision-making ability, and
  • dedication to protecting the usage of taxpayer dollars and other operational funding.

I possess all of the above, as well as the most important quality of all (and thus, my campaign slogan) –

Some background information:

I’m a lifelong resident of the Marengo-Union area and am married to Bob Fowler.

Two grown children and two beautiful granddaughters complete my immediate family – who mean the world to me. Bob and I are actively involved in the Lions Club as he is serving as a District Governor.

I earned a B.S. in Business Management and I am a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Since 2000, I have served as the Coral 1 Precinct Committeeman. I have also been involved in assisting others in campaigns, ranging from petition signature gathering to active campaigning.

In my 9 years as County Auditor, my office and I have accomplished much in the strengthening of the financial processes and operations of the County.

Here is just a partial list of some significant achievements:

  • Received financial reporting awards from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (16 consecutive years), and the Popular Annual Financial Reporting (6 consecutive years), both of which are compiled and produced by the Auditor’s Office.
  • Implemented a formal internal auditing program in 2006 based upon conducting a risk assessment and developing an annual audit plan. The internal audits have made significant improvements to many processes within County departments.
  • Started a Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline (1-866-908-2261), which has given employees and citizens an avenue to report suspicious activities, and also has provided tips for my office to audit and investigate.
  • Addressed transparency by having many financial reports (including vendor payments) available on the Auditor’s webpage of the County’s website (www.co.mchenry.il.us).
  • Proactively addressed necessary policies and procedures and revisions in order for the County to operate efficiently and effectively.
  • Restructured the staffing immediately after taking office in 2006 to provide for $30,000 annual personnel cost savings. In addition, in-house writing and production of the annual financial reports has saved approximately $68,000 since implemented 10 years ago.
  • Save the County significant dollars annually through a thorough review of vendor invoices presented for approval and payment.

There is still much more to do that my leadership and experience would contribute to, especially in a period of budget cutting, reduced revenues, and uncertainty in the State of Illinois.

The County is in first stages of a new financial software project and I am a key member of the implementation team.

I have many other goals to achieve that would benefit the County for years to come.

My broad base of experience and knowledge, coupled with my ethical values of hard work, honesty and integrity, are the forces behind my decision to run.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this press release and informative letter.

Sincerely,

Pamela K. Palmer

= = = = =
The post will pay about $104,000 during the next term.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *