The two main contenders - Democrat Peter Stevens and Republican Sean Thomas - are vying to restore taxpayers' trust - shaken after former auditor Craig Sorensen resigned in May amid a vehicle-abuse scandal.
Libertarian Richard Barnes and Personal Choice Party candidate Chris Nizzardini also are running.
Stevens, 68, a Salt Lake City native, says his decades of experience as a certified public accountant and a certified internal auditor make him the best qualified. He said Thomas, selected as interim county auditor in June, does not have a CPA and has never worked as an accountant or performed an audit.
"Managing a $750 million budget is no place for on-the-job training," Stevens said. My opponents have no experience in the functions requisite for this position.
"The auditor of any Class 1 city [such as Salt Lake City] should be a CPA," he added. "That needs to be a minimum entry level requirement for the office. That will protect the taxpayers and prevent a lot of incompetence in that office."
If he is elected, Stevens, former vice president of several Fortune 500 companies, says he will introduce legislation that makes a CPA mandatory before anyone can run for the office.
He also pledges to leave political partisanship at the door, adding he would not accept a position on the mayor's cabinet - as Thomas has done.
"The mayor is an 'auditee,' " he explained. "An auditor should not be involved in policy matters. . . . The auditor needs to be independent."
Stevens says the Salt Lake County Auditor's Office conducted 37 audits in 2003, none of which were cost-effective or uncovered the recent scandals involving Sorensen and Mayor Nancy Workman. As auditor, Stevens said he will establish a more efficient and ethical audit operation - one that will act as a catalyst to restoring the public's trust in county government.
While not a CPA, Thomas, 33, does have a bachelor's degree in accounting from Arizona State University. He further touts the financial and leadership prowess he displayed as an investment manager, and overseeing "multimillion-dollar mergers and acquisitions" while working in investment banking.
"I have a strong background in finance, accounting and leadership," Thomas said. "With that tripod of experience, I'm the most qualified to run the office."
Thomas said his experience since becoming interim auditor underscores the fact he is more than up to the job.
Thomas vows to audit all gas-card transactions on a yearly basis, though the checks will now be run on county employees instead of elected officials, since those officials no longer carry the cards.
The use of technology to enhance efficiency is one of Thomas' selling points. Another, he says, is balance.
"Without a dramatic turn of events, the county will likely have a Democratic mayor. Irrespective, the citizens of this county will be better served by the checks and balances provided by a conservative Republican auditor."
Peter Stevens, 68, Democrat
* Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Tulsa, accounting; Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Stevens Henager College.
* Work experience: Former vice president and general auditor of Northwest Energy; established internal audit operations at several Fortune 500 companies; 40 years of accounting and auditing management.
* Political experience: None
* Fun facts: Former U.S. Army Ranger, paratrooper and jump master; Western Region director of Army Ranger Association; an airplane builder and commercial pilot; avid hiker, scuba diver and skier.
Sean Thomas, 33, Republican
* Education: Bachelor's degree, Arizona State University, accounting; licensed and registered investment advisor.
* Work experience: President/CEO of James Stewart Company, an $100 million real-estate and investment firm; associate and senior analyst with Thorpe Capital, Inc.
* Political experience: Ran for Salt Lake County Council District 1 seat in 2002; served as GOP county and state delegate; served as region chair for the Salt Lake County Republican Party.
* Fun facts: Enjoys fishing, skeet shooting, skiing, golf and motorized sports.
