Auditor Blaha’s approach to protecting your freedom to make local decisions:

Examinations

Examinations are the bedrock of the Office of the State Auditor (OSA). Audits, investigations, and legal compliance work ensure that the solutions we create in our communities are implemented as promised. Auditor Blaha is committed to using examinations to build the fiscal integrity and public trust in cities, towns, counties, and school districts.

Accomplishments: 

• Prevented over $549 million in budget errors through audits.

• Found over $4 million in local government fraud and assisted law enforcement in the prosecution of wrongdoers.

• Brought over $23 million in tax increment finance funds into compliance.

• Increased oversight by over $20 billion by taking over the audit of statewide federal funds in 2022.

• Laid the funding and legislative groundwork to rebuild the OSA’s expertise in school auditing.

Support

The Office of the State Auditor (OSA) provides tools, training, and direct support so local government officials and residents can work together efficiently and effectively. In addition, the auditor serves on boards that oversee billions in Minnesota investments. 

Auditor Blaha is committed to using examinations to not only find fraud, waste, and abuse, but also build effective local governments where neighbors can come together to create solutions for their own communities.

Accomplishments: 

• Rebuilt relationships with local government officials by traveling across the state and meeting people where they live.

• Helped increase the funds that support public pensions by over $30 billion as a member of the State Board of Investment.

• Supported housing stability as a member of the board of Minnesota Housing, which extends nearly $2 billion in housing resources to over 90,000 households annually. 

• Protected the retirement benefits of over 440,000 Minnesota public employees as a member of the Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA).

• Aided local agricultural economies as a member of the Minnesota Rural Finance Authority, which manages $368 million in assets used for low interest loans for farmers.

• Updated communications tools to ensure Minnesotans can access and understand OSA data including the first website update in 15 years and expanding access for Minnesotans with disabilities that involve print and internet navigation.

Analysis

The Office of the State Auditor (OSA) is responsible for compiling and sharing government data clearly and in context so Minnesotans can make decisions in their communities based on facts. Auditor Blaha is committed to bringing Minnesotans together by providing data that can start discussions with agreement and trust. At the same time, Auditor Blaha is committed to protecting local resident’s freedom to make their own decisions by ensuring the data is fair and complete.

Accomplishments:

• Increased the reach of OSA reports by reviving press conferences and sharing reports with community groups.

• Created the “State of Main Street” program that brings Minnesotans together to analyze local government trends and advise local leaders and elected officials on strengthening cities, counties, and townships.

• Updated the OSA infrastructure tool that helps city planners evaluate and compare their water resources in their communities.

• Used our forfeiture data to help pass the bipartisan reform of civil asset forfeiture laws to be more fair to low income Minnesotans.

• Used our pension data to help pass the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP), which funds access to the education, prevention and care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis for Minnesota firefighters.

Transparency

Local governments in Minnesota deal with a wide range of issues, so government finance is connected to a wide range of issues as well. Because of that, Minnesotans need an auditor that will be open about their positions on a wide range of issues.