Following her announcement she would start the primary audit of the state Legislature in a century, Diana DiZoglio says Senate price range writers are chopping funding for her workplace brief whereas different departments see huge will increase.
“The Senate Budget is the latest example of how Beacon Hill’s most powerful politicians weaponize our taxpayer dollars to punish people for standing up for taxpayers. The state budget should not be treated as a game meant to settle political scores,” the state Auditor mentioned in a Thursday assertion. “This move further demonstrates the incredible lack of integrity and equity in their legislative process.”
According to DiZoglio’s workplace, the state Senate’s lately launched about $55 billion price range proposal that features massive will increase to the budgets of different vital statewide workplaces, however doesn’t make the identical adjustments to the auditor’s price range.
As written, from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2024, the Attorney General’s Office will see a ten% funding improve, going from about $64 million to $70 million, the Treasurer an 8% improve, from about $149 million to $161 million, and the Secretary of State a 6% improve, from about $33 million to $35 million.
The auditor’s workplace will get an additional $315,155 on high of their fiscal 2023 about $22 million price range, or about 1% extra, and all of that improve, Dizoglio says, was really authorized beneath the earlier administration.
DiZoglio, in her assertion, makes clear she thinks it’s her announcement is auditing elements of the Legislature’s conduct and spending — with or with out their help or concurrence — which led to the lower in funding.
“Every dollar the Senate President chooses to withhold from our office doesn’t hurt me, it hurts taxpayers. The shameless tactics used to coerce, control, manipulate and punish just add to the many examples of why an audit of the Legislature is so desperately needed,” she mentioned.
“No amount of bullying or retaliation will stop our office from doing our jobs by conducting this audit. One has to wonder what they’re hiding when every other state agency welcomes audits as routine matters,” she continued.
Lawmakers in each the House and the Senate have maintained that DiZoglio lacks the constitutional authority to audit a separate department of presidency which is tasked with creating its personal guidelines of conduct. Both chambers are audited yearly by exterior auditors, legislative leaders have mentioned.
Sean Fitzgerald, spokesman for the state Senate Ways and Means Committee, mentioned in a press release Thursday evening: “In drafting budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2024, the Senate Ways and Means Committee reviews each line-item account very closely. Requests for increases for any state agency, office or programs are weighed solely on their respective merits. While hundreds of accounts were level funded, the Auditor’s office received more than a $300,000 increase in funding from the previous fiscal year. This increased funding was allocated for advanced audit capacity involving cyber security, data integrity, data access, and overall system operations.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”