West Virginia State Auditor
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| West Virginia State Auditor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $95,000 |
| 2021 FY Budget: | $34,573,433 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | West Virginia Constitution, Article VII, Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
West Virginia State Auditor
John B. McCuskey | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Last election: | November 3, 2020 |
| Other West Virginia Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education• Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner• Natural Resources Commissioner • Secretary of Commerce • Commissioner of Labor • Public Service Commission | |
The West Virginia State Auditor is an elected, state executive position in the West Virginia state government. The auditor is the state's official bookkeeper and chief inspector, and is responsible for conducting audits of county governments, county boards of election, municipalities, boards, commissions, districts, offices, public authorities, public corporations, and county boards of education.[1]
Current officeholder[edit]
The current officeholder is John B. McCuskey (R). He was first elected on November 8, 2016, and assumed office on January 16, 2017.[2]
Authority[edit]
The auditor's office is established by Article VII of the West Virginia Constitution.
Article VII, Section 1:
| The executive department shall consist of a governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and attorney general... |
Qualifications[edit]
Article IV, Section 4 of the West Virginia Constitution establishes the qualifications of office as such:
- a citizen entitled to vote
- a resident of West Virginia for at least the preceding five years
|
No person, except citizens entitled to vote, shall be elected or appointed to any state, county or municipal office; but the governor and judges must have attained the age of thirty, and the attorney general and senators the age of twenty-five years, at the beginning of their respective terms of service; and must have been citizens of the state for five years next preceding their election or appointment, or be citizens at the time this constitution goes into operation. |
Elections[edit]
The auditor is a publicly elected statewide position with elections held every four years. Elections are held in November and the winner assumes office the following January.
2020[edit]
- See also: West Virginia Auditor election, 2020
General election candidates
- John B. McCuskey (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
- Mary Ann Claytor (Democratic Party)
Democratic primary candidates
Republican primary candidates
- John B. McCuskey (Incumbent) ✔
2016[edit]
- See also: West Virginia Auditor election, 2016
The general election for auditor was held on November 8, 2016.
John B. McCuskey defeated Mary Ann Claytor and Brenton Ricketts in the West Virginia auditor election.
| West Virginia Auditor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  John B. McCuskey |
58.48% | 385,831 | |
| Democratic | Mary Ann Claytor | 34.56% | 228,001 | |
| Libertarian | Brenton Ricketts | 6.96% | 45,908 | |
| Total Votes | 659,740 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
Full history[edit]
To view the electoral history dating back to 2000 for the office of West Virginia Auditor, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2012Incumbent Glen Gainer (D) defeated Larry V. Faircloth (R) and write-in candidate John Klayton Miller in the November 6, 2012 general election.
2008On November 4, 2008, Glen B. Gainer III won re-election to the office of West Virginia Auditor. He ran unopposed in the general election.
2004 On November 2, 2004, Glen B. Gainer, III won re-election to the office of West Virginia Auditor. He defeated Lisa Thornburg (R) in the general election.
2000 On November 7, 2000, Glen B. Gainer, III won re-election to the office of West Virginia Auditor. He ran unopposed in the general election.
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Term limits[edit]
There are no term limits for the office.
Vacancies[edit]
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article VII, Section 17 of the state constitution.
If the office of auditor becomes vacant, it is the duty of the governor to fill the position by appointment. The appointee serves until a new auditor is elected.
| Text of Section 17:
Vacancies in Other Executive Departments If the office of secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture or attorney general shall become vacant by death, resignation, or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the governor to fill the same by appointment, and the appointee shall hold his office until his successor shall be elected and qualified in such manner as may be prescribed by law. The subordinate officers of the executive department and the officers of all public institutions of the state shall keep an account of all moneys received or disbursed by them, respectively, from all sources, and for every service performed, and make a semiannual report thereof to the governor under oath or affirmation; and any officer who shall wilfully make a false report shall be deemed guilty of perjury. |
Duties[edit]
The auditor is West Virginia's official bookkeeper, responsible for ensuring that state funds are withdrawn and deposited legally. As the state's chief inspector, the auditor is responsible for conducting audits of county governments, county boards of election, municipalities, boards, commissions, districts, offices, public authorities, public corporations, and county boards of education. Other duties include:[1][3]
- reviewing and approving annual budgets
- changing budgets during the fiscal year
- approving proposed levy rates
- overseeing the receipt of taxes collected by county sheriffs on behalf of the state
- collecting and distributing public utility taxes for both the state and counties
Divisions[edit]
As of February 2021, divisions within the auditor's office included:[4]
- Accounting
- Auditing
- Chief Inspector
- Land/County Collections
- E-Payments
- Central Payroll
- Local Government
- Purchasing Card
- Local Gov P-Card
- Securities
- Social Security
- Public Integrity & Fraud Unit
- Budget Analysis
State budget[edit]
- See also: West Virginia state budget and finances
The budget for the auditor's office in Fiscal Year 2021 was $34,573,433.[5]
Compensation[edit]
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
Article 7, Section 19 of the state constitution defines the method by which the auditor's compensation is set:
| The officers named in this article shall receive for their services a salary to be established by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during their official terms, and they shall not, after they shall not, after the expirations of the terms of those in office at the adoption of this amendment, receive to their own use any fees, costs, perquisites of office or other compensation, and all fees that may hereafter be payable by law, for any service performed by any officer provided for in this article of the Constitution, shall be paid in advance into the state treasury. |
Chapter 6, Article 7-2 of the West Virginia Code lays out the exact compensation for certain state officers. According to this section of the state code, the salary of the auditor, beginning in 2009 and for each calendar year thereafter, shall be $95,000.[6]
2021[edit]
In 2021, the auditor received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2020[edit]
In 2020, the auditor received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2019[edit]
In 2019, the auditor received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2018[edit]
In 2018, the auditor received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2017[edit]
In 2017, the auditor received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2016[edit]
In 2016, the auditor received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2015[edit]
In 2015, the auditor received a salary $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2014[edit]
In 2014, the state auditor was paid an estimated $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2013[edit]
In 2013, the state auditor was paid an estimated $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2012[edit]
In 2012, the state auditor was paid an estimated $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.
2010[edit]
In 2010, the state auditor was paid an estimated $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
Historical officeholders[edit]
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the West Virginia State Auditor has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news[edit]
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Contact information[edit]
West Virginia State Auditor
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Building 1, Room W-100
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone: (304) 558-2251
Toll free: (877) 982-9148
Fax: (304) 558-5200
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 West Virginia Code online, Chapter 6, Article, Section 9," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia State Auditor, "About," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia Encyclopedia, "Auditor," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia State Auditor, "Home," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia State Budget Office, "Fiscal Year 2021 Budget," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ West State Legislature, "West Virginia Code," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed February 1, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed April 23, 2011
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