State Auditor
The State Auditor’s office examines the government’s work to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately and as promised by our leaders.
There are 2 candidates for the office of North Carolina Auditor.
All answers are provided in text and audio files for each candidate. To navigate through the questions you may either scroll through this page to read or listen to their answers, or use the links below to jump directly to specific questions.
The primary candidates for the office of North Carolina Auditor were each asked the following questions:
The complete audio of all responses for the State Auditor’s race:
English:
Spanish:
Beth Wood (D)
Through performance audits, ensuring “now” that the $4 Billion of CARES Act moneys, sent to NC &; must be spent by 12/31/2020, is tracked, accounted for, spent on things it was intended & none of it wasted. By reporting the findings “as soon as the issues are found” to the Governor & General Assembly so the spending of the moneys gets back on track in order to ensure NC recovers from COVID-19 ASAP.
Audio (English):
Audio (Spanish):
Beth Wood (D)
By Auditing those programs meant to serve People with disabilities and reporting to the Agency Head, the Governor and the General Assembly the results of those audits so they can fix the issues with those programs. Under my leadership, the Agency has already audited and reported findings with the Division of the Blind in the Department of Health and Human Services.
Audio (English):
Audio (Spanish):
Beth Wood (D)
The greatest need for oversight as it relates to people with disabilities is the Department of Health and Human Services. And not just fiscal oversight but also performance oversight. Many times, in state government, moneys designated for specific purposes “will” actually be spent for the purpose it was intended “but” the benefits that should have been provided are many times are not achieved at the level, quantity or quality they should have been.
Audio (English):
Audio (Spanish):
Beth Wood (D)
Since I have been State Auditor we have offered job opportunities to people with disabilities and have agreed to make accommodations that will allow them to work in our Agency. Making accommodations and giving them the opportunity at a job that allows them to use their talent is the most effective way we can promote employment.
Audio (English):
Audio (Spanish):
Question 5: Would you be willing to use your authority to examine the use of funds to provide accessible voting machines for voters with disabilities? Anecdotally, we have seen instances where accessible machines are not plugged in and ready to use or staff do not know how to operate them. How can we ensure this investment in machines is actually making voting accessible for people with disabilities?
Beth Wood (D)
Yes, I would be willing to perform an audit of this issue.
Audio (English):
Audio (Spanish):
Question 6: Currently our state makes it easier to get services like personal care through Medicaid if you live in a congregate facility instead of your own home. What will you do to ensure public spending is not reinforcing such institutional bias in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead decision?
Beth Wood (D)
I will continue to perform audits that demonstrate when biases are being used to make decisions with bad consequences instead of what is best for the health and well-being of citizens with disabilities in North Carolina.
Audio (English):
Audio (Spanish):
English
Spanish