West Virginia Executive Summer 2016 | Page 38

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.