Name: Terry Hunt
Position for which you are a candidate:
Kane County Auditor
Why are you seeking this position?
First, the Kane County Auditor serves an important role in representing the financial interests of the residents of Kane County. It is important to explain how the County Auditor benefits the residents of Kane County. The Auditor is the only elected official authorized by state statute to conduct internal audits of all County offices and departments.
So, in addition to auditing every claim in the County’s $250,000,000+ budget, the Auditor performs internal audits to enhance fiscal controls and safeguard County assets. My office’s internal audits have saved taxpayers over $5,000,000 and brought 17 different funds into the budget process which enhances compliance and transparency.
I established a financial transparency platform that provided the public with unprecedented access to the County’s financial information. Kane County became the first and only county in Illinois to earn a perfect 100% transparency rating.
The Auditor has the smallest budget of any elected office, but my office operates within that budget every year while delivering the kind service that the public expects and deserves.
I have earned the respect of my peers throughout the state and am currently serving my second term as Treasurer of the Illinois Association of County Auditors.
In summary, I am running for re-election because I have the qualifications, experience, and proven track record to best serve the citizens of Kane County.
What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?
I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an Accounting major. I have over 45 years combined experience as an accountant and auditor, serving as the Kane County Auditor since 2012. During my tenure as County Auditor, I’ve added nearly 500 hours of CPE and specialized training designed for governmental auditing. Those qualifications and experience make me uniquely qualified for the position of Auditor.
In addition to the mandated Auditor duties, I have served on a variety of ad hoc committees such as the Finance Advisory Group, the Kane Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP), the Coronavirus Relief Fund Task Force, and others.
The Finance Advisory Group has been instrumental in re-financing the County’s General Obligation Bonds which resulted in saving over $2,000,000 in interest expense and improving the County’s credit rating to AA+.
The KEEP program provides low cost financing for commercial property owners seeking invest in energy efficient projects.
I served as Chairman of the ad hoc Coronavirus Relief Fund Task Force which provided the County Board with hundreds of hours of research and the framework for the eligible uses for nearly $93,000,000 of federal COVID funds to be distributed throughout Kane County.
What will be your highest priorities if elected?
If re-elected, I will continue to build upon the resources my office has implemented on behalf of the taxpayers. We will remain committed to transparency and accurate and accessible financial information. As always, I will do so within my budget.
I believe my greatest challenge will be to assist the County in new ways. I look forward to working with the incoming Chairman, the new County Board, and our Finance Director, to develop sound financial strategies to enable Kane County to survive the catastrophic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Every year we face challenges because the County provides vital constituent services and the cost and demand for those services increases every year.
The challenges we face now are different and far more complicated than before due to COVID-19. The County’s revenues have plummeted and forecasts for 2021 don’t show a return to previously budgeted levels.
The County is also incurring millions of dollars in unbudgeted expenses related to COVID-19. Our share of the CRF allocation simply will not cover all of the eligible expenses under the current Treasury Guidance.
Kane County is fortunate that our team of proven financial leaders established modest reserve funds which will help to mitigate this revenue shortfall. However, those reserves will not offset the revenue gap for a single fiscal year, much less over sustained period of time.
Now, more than ever, Kane County needs the steady financial guidance of proven leadership.
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