ISSUES OF AUDITOR BEING CPA RESURFACES IN '94 STATE RACE

Ever since Democrat George Lehr made it a focal point of his 1974 campaign against John Ashcroft, every state auditor elected or appointed has been a certified public accountant.

Ashcroft, who had been appointed auditor by Christopher Bond after Bond won the governor's office in 1972, came under fire from Lehr for lacking proper credentials to be state auditor. Television ads drove home the point. They insinuated that a non-CPA could not be an effective auditor with a graphic that proclaimed: "2 plus 2 equals 5." Ads reminded voters they would never consider electing a non-lawyer attorney general, so why would they consider anyone but a CPA as auditor?

Now, 20 years later, the issue is back in the forefront, with state Sen. Steve Danner, a lawyer like Ashcroft, challenging 10-year Auditor Margaret Kelly. Kelly, a Republican, became auditor in May 1984, following the resignation of James Antonio. In finding someone to fill the vacancy, then-governor Bond stressed that only a CPA would be considered for the job.

Kelly, who won re-election in 1986 by defeating Democrat Travis Morrison, and in 1990 by defeating Connie Hendren, both recruited by party leaders to run for the office because they were CPAs, contends that a CPA auditor is essential to maintaining a professional office.

Kelly said she has worked in accounting during her entire career and, because she is a CPA, the office is licensed as a CPA firm by the State Board of Accountancy. Because of that license, Kelly said it is easier to recruit qualified people to work in the office, the public can be assured certain standards of professionalism and ethics are maintained, and all audits are certified.

If a non-CPA were elected auditor, Kelly said the office would no longer be licensed.

"How can you administer an office if you don't know what you are administering?" asked Kelly. "This is like a large CPA firm, and the managing partner has to be a CPA. It is essential that a certified public accountant continue in this job."

Democrat Danner said that since it is a government accounting office, it "makes no difference" whether the auditor's office is licensed by the state board. With his experience as a lawyer, officer in the National Guard, small-business man, and in local and state government, Danner said he offers a common-sense business approach to the job.

Danner said he doubts Kelly personally conducts audits. He said the office needs a good administrator who can develop internal changes to speed up audits and insure recommendations are followed up on. Danner said the job involves issuing more legal opinions than audits.

Said Danner: "My strength is in management, and that is what we have not had in an auditor. Her credentials as a CPA have not brought us better performance in the auditor's office or better competency in her role as the state watchdog."

Danner said Kelly supported Bond and Ashcroft for auditor, even though they were lawyers and not CPAs. But Kelly said since Lehr successfully raised the issue in 1974, people of Missouri have come to assume that a CPA would serve as state auditor. She said that when Lehr took office there were only seven CPAs in the office, and now there are between 75 and 80 among the 145 auditors.

Kelly said the CPA issue is a "very critical" discussion point for the 1994 campaign.

"We have an attorney serving as attorney general and wouldn't think of having a non-lawyer in that office," said Kelly. "You need to have someone qualified in the field you are responsible for."

Before resigning office in 1977 to spend more time with his family, Lehr insisted that then-governor Joe Teasdale appoint a CPA to replace him. Teasdale obliged, and named Thomas M. Keyes of Kansas City to the post.

Keyes did not run for the job in 1978. The Democratic nominee was former governor Warren Hearnes, a lawyer and not a CPA. He lost to Antonio, a CPA. In 1982 Antonio defeated Democrat James R. Butler.