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Utah State Auditor

From Ballotpedia
Utah State Auditor

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General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $164,610
2025 FY Budget:  $9,612,100
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 1
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Utah State Auditor Tina Cannon
Republican Party
Assumed office: January 6, 2025

Elections
Next election:  November 7, 2028
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Other Utah Executive Offices
Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Attorney General •Treasurer •Auditor •Superintendent of Education •Agriculture Commissioner •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Commissioner •Labor Commissioner •Public Service Commission

TheUtah State Auditor is an elected position in theUtah state government. Theauditor is the chief watchdog for the state, providing independent audits of Utah's state and local governments. The auditor operates independently of any executive or administrative officers of the state.

Current officeholder

The current Utah State Auditor isTina Cannon (R). Cannon assumed office in 2025.

Authority

The Office of State Auditor is established inArticle VII, Section 1 of thestate constitution.

Article VII, Section 1:

The elective constitutional officers of the Executive Department shall consist of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Attorney General...[1]

Qualifications

Article VII, Section 3 of theUtah Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:

  1. To be eligible for the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor a person shall be 30 years of age or older at the time of election.
  2. To be eligible for the office of Attorney General a person shall be 25 years of age or older, at the time of election, admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Utah, and in good standing at the bar.
  3. To be eligible for the office of State Auditor or State Treasurer a person shall be 25 years of age or older at the time of election.
  4. No person is eligible to any of the offices provided for in Section 1 unless at the time of election that person is a qualified voter and has been a resident citizen of the state for five years next preceding the election.[1]

Elections

According toArticle VII, Section 2 of thestate constitution, Utah voters elect theauditor. PerArticle VII, Section 1, the newly elected auditor takes office beginning on the first Monday of January next after the election.[1]

...every four years at the time and place of voting for members of the Legislature. The candidates respectively having the highest number of votes cast for the office voted for shall be elected. If two or more candidates have an equal and the highest number of votes for any one of the offices, the two houses of the Legislature at its next session shall elect by joint ballot one of those candidates for that office.

2024

See also:Utah Auditor election, 2024

General election candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

The Democratic Party primary was canceled.

    Republican Party Republican primary candidates

    Democratic Party Democratic convention candidates

    Candidate Connection = candidate completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
    Republican Party Republican convention candidates

    Minor Party convention candidates

      Constitution Party

      2020

      See also:Utah Auditor election, 2020

      General election candidates

      Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

      The Democratic Party primary was canceled.

        Republican Party Republican primary candidates

        The Republican Party primary was canceled.

          Republican Party Republican convention candidates


          Past elections

          Expand All
          2016
          2012
          2008
          2004
          2000


          Vacancies

          In the event of a vacancy in the officeauditor,Article VII, Section 10 of thestate constitution allows thegovernor to fill the vacancy by appointment. The appointee must be from the same political party as the previous officer and shall hold the office until a successor is elected and qualified.[1]

          Duties

          The auditor holds users of the state's money accountable by performing audits of state and local governments. The specific duties of the state auditor are outlined in Title 67, Chapter 3 of the Utah code:[2]

          “
          • audit each permanent fund, each special fund, the General Fund, and the accounts of any department of state government or any independent agency or public corporation as the law requires, as the auditor determines is necessary, or upon request of the governor or the Legislature;
          • perform the audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and other auditing procedures as promulgated by recognized authoritative bodies;
          • as the auditor determines is necessary, conduct the audits to determine:
            • honesty and integrity in fiscal affairs;
            • accuracy and reliability of financial statements;
            • effectiveness and adequacy of financial controls; and
            • compliance with the law.[3]
          		”
          Utah state government organizational chart

          Divisions

          As of January 26, 2021, divisions within the auditor's office included:[4]

          • Financial Audit
          • Performance Audit
          • Special Projects
          • Local Government

          State budget

          See also:Utah state budget and finances

          The budget for the state auditor's office in Fiscal Year 2025 was $9,612,100.[5]

          Compensation

          See also:Compensation of state executive officers

          DocumentIcon.jpgSee statutes:UT Code § 67-22-1 (2014)

          The state auditor, along with Utah's other elected executives, is entitled to a fixed salary, pursuant toArticle VII, Section 18 of theUtah Constitution.

          The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and any other state officer as the Legislature may provide, shall receive for their services a fixed and definite compensation as provided by law.[1]

          The amount of compensation the state auditor receives annually is set by Title 67, Chapter 22, Section 1 of the Utah Code.[6]

          2023

          In 2023, the officer's salary was $164,610, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[7]

          2022

          In 2022, the officer's salary was $149,040, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[8]

          2021

          In 2021, the auditor received a salary of $149,040, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[9]

          2020

          In 2020, the auditor received a salary of $135,000 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]

          2019

          In 2019, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]

          2018

          In 2018, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]

          2017

          In 2017, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]

          2016

          In 2016, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]

          2015

          In 2015, the auditor received a salary $104,400 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]

          2014

          In 2014, the state auditor was paid an estimated$104,000 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[16]

          2013

          In 2013, the state auditor was paid an estimated$104,000 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[17]

          Historical officeholders

          There have been 25 state auditors of Utah since 1896.[18]

          List of officeholders from 1896-Present
          #NameTenureParty
          1Morgan Richards, Jr1896 - 1900Ends.pngRepublican
          2C.S. Tingey1901 - 1904Ends.pngRepublican
          3J.A. Edwards1905 - 1908Ends.pngRepublican
          4Jesse D. Jewkes1909 - 1912Ends.pngRepublican
          5Lincoln G. Kelly1913 - 1916Ends.pngRepublican
          6Joseph Ririe1917 - 1920Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          7Mark Tuttle1921 - 1924Ends.pngRepublican
          8John E Holden1925 - 1928Ends.pngRepublican
          9Ivor Ajax1929 - 1932Ends.pngRepublican
          10Julius C Andersen1933 - 1936Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          11John W. Guy1937 - 1940Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          12Reese M. Reese1941 - 1944Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          13Ferrell H. Adams1945 - 1948Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          14Reese M. Reese1949 - 1952Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          15Sherman J. Preece1953 - 1956Ends.pngRepublican
          16Sid Lambourne1957 - 1961Ends.pngRepublican
          17Sherman J. Preece1961 – 1965Ends.pngRepublican
          18Sharp M. Larsen1965 - 1969Electiondot.pngDemocratic
          19Sherman J. Preece1969 - 1972Ends.pngRepublican
          20David Monson1972 - 1976Ends.pngRepublican
          21Richard G. Jensen1976 - 1980Ends.pngRepublican
          22W. Val Oveson1980 - 1985Ends.pngRepublican
          23Tom L. Allen1985 - 1995Ends.pngRepublican
          24Auston G. Johnson1995 - 2013Ends.pngRepublican
          25John Dougall2013 - PresentEnds.pngRepublican

          Recent news

          The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsUtah State Auditor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

          Contact information

          Office of the Utah State Auditor
          Utah State Capitol Complex
          Senate Office Building Suite E310
          Salt Lake City, UT 84112

          Phone: (801) 538-1025

          See also

          UtahState Executive ElectionsNews and Analysis
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          Partisan composition of governors

          External links

          Footnotes

          1. ↑1.01.11.21.31.4Utah State Legislature, "Utah Constitution," accessed January 26, 2021
          2. ↑Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code Ann. § 67-3-1," accessed January 26, 2021
          3. ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
          4. ↑Utah State Auditor, "About Us," accessed January 26, 2021
          5. ↑Utah Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, "Budget of the State of Utah and related Appropriations - Fiscal years 2024 and 2025," accessed January 23, 2025
          6. ↑Utah State Legislature, "UT Code § 67-22-1 (2014)," accessed January 26, 2021
          7. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
          8. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
          9. ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
          10. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 26, 2021
          11. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 26, 2021
          12. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 26, 2021
          13. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 26, 2021
          14. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
          15. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
          16. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
          17. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 29, 2014
          18. ↑Garrett Fortin, "Email communication with the Research Center of the Utah State Archives & Utah State History," January 14, 2014
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