Yesterday Auditor General Eugene DePasquale endorsed Senator Kim Ward and I’s bill, SB 597, allowing the Auditor General to audit county and local municipality authorities.
Senator Stefano issued the following statement on this development.
“Bringing transparency and accountability to government has been one of my primary focuses in the State Senate. I’m grateful that today, one of my initiatives was endorsed by Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. My bill, SB597, to give the Auditor General the authority to audit municipal authorities is a common sense solution to a glaring gap in PA law that allows these authorities to operate without independent oversight. As a former chairman of a sewage authority I saw firsthand the potential dangers of authorities self-selecting their own oversight.”
“A performance audit by the Auditor General can flag inefficiencies, cost savings measures and even potential corruption and misallocation of funds. The mere prospect of being audited by an independent auditor can be a key deterrent to any thought of improper conduct. “
“I’ve never encountered an entity that would not benefit by more transparency and oversight. This bill will bring that type of oversight to entities that provide vital services like water, sewage, transit and redevelopment of our communities.
I’m grateful for General DePasquale’s support of SB 597 and am looking forward to working with him and my colleagues in the legislature to enact this important legislation.”
-Senator Pat Stefano
Learn more about SB597 here: