BEARDEN WANTS LARGER ROLE FOR TREASURER

Carl Bearden says it's time the state treasurer's office took a more active role in controlling state spending.

Bearden, 40, of St. Charles is the Republican hoping to unseat incumbent Treasurer Bob Holden, a Democrat.

During a campaign visit to Cape Girardeau Friday, Bearden said he'd like to see passage of legislation that would require performance-based budgeting by all state departments.

"It would require departments to state how they're going to spend the money and what the goals and objectives are," he said.

Regular reviews of the spending plans would help identify, and eliminate, fiscal waste, Bearden said. A pilot project in California identified 3.5 percent waste in one state department, he said.

"I ask people, do you think we could find in a $14 billion budget 3 1/2 percent waste? They laugh and say we could probably find 10 percent," he said.

But 3.5 percent amounts to "almost $500 million. I think we need to make it more understandable just how big our government has gotten."

Bearden, a Piedmont native, is a budget officer for Westar Corp. in St. Louis County and a representative on the St. Charles County Council. He served three years as chairman of the County Council. He and his wife and their two daughters have lived in St. Charles four about 12 years. He is an Air Force veteran.

He said the state treasurer should act as the state's chief financial officer to help oversee the budget process and keep spending in line through "prudent business management."

In the last four years, Bearden said, state spending has increased 50 percent, and Senate Bill 380 violated the Hancock Amendment by imposing a substantial increase without a public vote.

"Margaret Kelly was the only statewide officer who voiced the concern that would happen," he said, adding Holden should also have spoken up.