Wyoming State Auditor Election: Kristi Racines

NLJ: Please tell us why you want to hold this office, and what you intend to accomplish if elected. Please be specific about your goals and objectives, so our readers can measure your progress over the course of the term. Also tell us what qualifications and characteristics you possess that will help ensure that your stated goals can be achieved. (The same question was posed to all candidates for the General Election.)
 
Kristi Racines
I’m running for the position of State Auditor because I am committed to the future of Wyoming. I believe in a government that is effective, efficient, and serves the critical needs of our citizens. The auditor is responsible for keeping the books of the state, managing the accounting and payroll processes, and is the official custodian of the state’s accounting records. As a financial professional, I firmly believe any entity, from the smallest business to our entire state, must have its fiscal house in order to operate effectively. When it comes to the auditor’s position on the State Loan and Investment Board and the Board of Land Commissioners, I want to foster a Wyoming where our children and grandchildren want (and will be able) to stay. I am focused on using my skills to put Wyoming’s future first, always.  
My Wyoming roots run deep.  I’m a fourth generation native — my grandparents and great-grandparents were sheep and cattle ranchers, and my father worked in the oil and gas industry. I was born in Casper and raised in Bar Nunn, Evanston, and Riverton. 
After graduating high school, I attended the University of Wyoming, where I graduated with degrees in accounting and Spanish. Shortly after, I became licensed as a certified public accountant (CPA). In my current role as chief fiscal officer and director of Human Resources of Wyoming’s judicial branch, I prepare and manage an $80 million statewide budget and oversee human resources for over 300 employees. I sit on the State Employee Compensation Commission and was appointed a member of the inaugural Government Efficiency Commission in 2017. Prior to my employment with the state, I worked for a large public accounting firm, where I performed audits of Wyoming businesses, nonprofits, and various different governmental entities.  I understand accounting principles, business processes, and internal controls that are critical to the operation of our state.  Having a common-sense Wyoming perspective is also critical to this position.
In my personal life, I am an avid sportsman. I enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and generally enjoying our state’s natural wonders. My husband and I live north of Cheyenne with our two young children.
The number one current issue with the state auditor’s office is transparency — the state auditor is the cornerstone of financial reporting for the state, and is the official custodian of expenditure information. This data is not currently available to citizens in an easily accessible format. As auditor, I would ensure that state expenditure data is available — this is our best tool to ensure wise spending of our limited resources. Wyoming citizens and lawmakers must have accurate and reliable financial information in order to make good decisions and hold government accountable — this is non-negotiable. Currently, information that can and should be made public is intermingled with data that is private by law (for example, private health information). My knowledge of the current accounting system and the state’s expenditure process puts me in the best position to correct this issue while ensuring protected data of individual citizens is not compromised.