(KIWA Staff Photo)Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — The two candidates seeking to replace Rob Sand as Iowa’s state auditor offered differing views this week on a 2023 law affecting the auditor’s access to government information.
Democrat Taylor Wettach criticized Republican Chris Cournoyer’s support for the 2023 legislation, saying it made protecting taxpayer money more difficult. Cournoyer defended her vote, saying the changes established boundaries for audits and protected Iowans’ private information.
Both candidates also outlined their priorities for the office ahead of the Nov. 3rd election. Sand is running for governor.
Candidates Bring Different Backgrounds
Wettach is a Muscatine attorney and seventh-generation Iowan who says his legal career has involved reviewing multibillion-dollar financial matters and working closely with auditors and accountants.
Cournoyer, Iowa’s lieutenant governor, lives in LeClaire and brings a technology background that includes a computer science degree, work with Andersen Consulting, and ownership of a website development business. She has also served on a local school board and spent six years in the Iowa Senate.
Both candidates said the auditor’s office should provide independent oversight of taxpayer dollars regardless of which party controls state government.
Different Views on the 2023 Law
Wettach argued that the auditor’s office needs broad access to information to effectively investigate government spending and should resist political efforts that interfere with that work. He said support for the 2023 law was one of the reasons he decided to enter the race.
The law, Senate File 478, limits access to certain sensitive records while providing exceptions for auditing requirements, legal obligations, and investigations involving suspected theft or embezzlement. It also routes disputes between the auditor and other state executive branch agencies through binding arbitration rather than the courts. Each side appoints one member of a three-person panel, with the governor selecting the third.
Cournoyer, who voted for the legislation while serving in the Senate, said she was concerned with requests for health care and student information, along with how audits were initiated and their scope established.
Helping Local Governments and Improving Audits
Wettach said smaller communities may lack the staffing, technology, and resources available to larger cities. He said the auditor’s office should provide more support before financial issues become serious problems.
He also supports continuing Sand’s Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program and providing staff with tools that help improve efficiency while preserving the office’s independence.
Cournoyer said modern auditing software and artificial intelligence could help the office complete audits more efficiently, but she emphasized that professional oversight would remain essential.
She also proposed additional training and resources for local governments, including online learning opportunities and tools to make government finances easier for the public to follow. Asked about the PIE program, Cournoyer said she would consider continuing programs that help improve government efficiency.
