Iowa Auditor Rob Sand kicked off his 99-county town hall tour in Greene County Tuesday.

About ten people were at Washington Park in Jefferson to hear Sand give updates of what his office has been doing. He reminded the crowd about the Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program that is used to incentivize governmental entities and school districts to make changes for better efficiencies and share successes for others to copy. He listed the local entities who have participated in PIE and those included the Greene County School District, the cities of Dana and Churdan; and the Greene County Conservation Board. 

Sand also talked about a newer program that eliminates prospective employees to have a four year degree to work in the auditor’s office. He said certain jobs would be fine with a two year degree and work experience, 

Sand mentioned his office sent a letter to the US Congress requesting them to block the sell of a fertilizer plant in Lee County to Chok Industries, because the plant was originally done with $1 billion of incentives from taxpayers during Governor Terry Branstad’s final term to drive fertilizer prices lower and keep Chok Industries from driving the fertilizer market. 

Sand spent a lot of time on laws that were passed and bills that failed in the Iowa Legislature. He said last year a new law doesn’t allow the auditor’s office to audit nine documents in state agencies. He noted that if an agency were to challenge something, it now goes before a three person panel instead of the court system. Sand pointed out the three person panel includes a representative from his office, one from the agency and one appointed by the governor. He talked about one bill that didn’t pass this last session.

“That would’ve allowed government insiders to just override the voters’ choice for state auditor. So the voters of the people of Iowa, in that case if the bill had become law, get to vote on who the state auditor is but if government insiders don’t like who they pick, they can just hire someone else altogether.”  

Another bill that was passed this session was not requiring state agencies to have the state auditor’s office conduct their audits. Sand said if someone believes there is wrongdoing and they want the auditor’s office to look into it to email them at info.aos.iowa.gov and Sand added they will keep the individual’s identity confidential.