State
Treasurer
John Perdue
Democrat (Incumbent)
Ann Urling
Republican
How has your professional
background prepared you for
the role of state treasurer?
How has your professional
background prepared you for
the role of state treasurer?
How has your professional
background prepared you for
the role of state treasurer?
When I first took on the role of state
treasurer in 1997, the office was
fragmented and fragile. With my
background as Governor Gaston
Caperton’s top aide and years in a
leadership role with the Department of
Agriculture, I knew I could rebuild the
state’s bank. Under my direction, our
two money market pools are AAAmrated by Standard & Poor’s and the
Board of Treasury Investments now has
a chartered financial analyst on staff.
I have a long and extensive business
record and have worked for small
businesses and corporations alike. I know
how business works, from getting the
best from those under you to making
sure the books add up. I made sure the
business hit its goals while addressing
needs and planning for future success.
I am a senior vice president of
commercial lending, and I have my
property and casualty insurance
license. I bring proven leadership,
team management and banking
experience to this role.
What do you see as WV’s
biggest financial challenges?
It’s no secret that the decline in the
coal industry has been detrimental to
individuals and the state budget as a
whole. We have to look to new and
diverse ways to fill the budget gaps.
I understand the needs of our state, and
I know how to seek out the long-term
solutions to keep our state strong.
What will be your number one
priority if elected in November?
My number one priority is to maintain
the financial integrity of the state and
this office. I want people to know
how the state manages their tax
dollars, where to find the information
they need and what resources are
available to them. That philosophy
will continue to drive my priorities
moving forward as state treasurer.
36
Michael Young
Libertarian
west virginia executive
What do you see as WV’s
biggest financial challenges?
The West Virginia tax system in its current
form is the biggest financial challenge
in our state. We need less control and
top-down mandates in Charleston and
more autonomy at the local level and
among citizens. Although the treasurer is
a non-policy making job, I will use it as a
bully pulpit to advocate for lower taxes. I
will search out wasteful spending in the
treasurer’s office itself and look for ways
to advance the taxpayers’ interests. I
have no special interests backing me,
and I will always remember that I serve
the public, not the other way around.
What will be your number one
priority if elected in November?
My biggest priority will be to ease the
financial burden on the citizens of West
Virginia. Every dollar the state spends,
wastes or mismanages comes out
of the pockets of working people. I’ll
look on my job as a frugal trustee of
the public’s hard-earned money.
What do you see as WV’s
biggest financial challenges?
I think our biggest financial challenge is
that we have been so dependent on coal
rather than diversification for revenue
and jobs. We’re accustomed to having
more than sufficient funds to operate,
but this singular dependence has hurt
us. Further, we lack transparency. Here
is my plan for transparency and integrity.
First, eliminate the top-heavy staff in the
treasurer’s office to save the taxpayers
money. Next, complete a top-to-bottom
review of the department to eliminate
unnecessary expenditures. Put the state’s
checkbook online so the taxpayers can
see where their money is spent. Then
eliminate the taxpayer-funded public
relations team in the unclaimed property
department to save taxpayers money.
What will be your number one
priority if elected in November?
My number one priority will be to bring a
fresh set of eyes to how the treasurer’s
office is currently run and restore integrity
to an office that has served as the political
machine of the 20-year incumbent.