Saving Taxpayer Dollars

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Ricky has led the team of financial professionals who ensure that every dollar is put to good use in serving the needs of county residents. As the Clerk/Auditor, he hired a dedicated internal auditor and established a comprehensive internal audit program.

Ricky is also a Certified Public Official, and earned his Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) license in 1997. He also serves on the State’s Private Activity Bond Authority. He was nominated to represent the nation’s counties on the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC), which advises the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) on national governmental accounting standards and priorities. He also sits on the GASAC executive council.

Ricky (bottom left) represents the nation’s counties on the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC).

Savings So Far

A staunch fiscal conservative, Ricky is actively involved in the annual county budget process. Countywide savings are often a team effort involving several offices. Under his leadership, the Clerk/Auditor’s Office has spearheaded innovations that dramatically increased services to residents while reducing staff costs. Here are a few examples:

  • Saved Weber County $23 million by restructuring the county employee benefits program.
  • Obtained a AAA bond rating, saving taxpayers $493,000 in lower interest over the life of the bonds.
  • Arranged early bond payoffs, saving over $2.5 million in interest.
  • $13,800 per year savings by automating the journal entry process.
  • $13,000 per year savings through combining property valuation notices into one envelope if going to the same address.
  • Over $1,500 per year savings by eliminating unnecessary phone extensions. This seemingly small change has added up to over $15,000 taxpayer dollars saved so far.
  • Property owners can now file a valuation appeal online, saving time and money.
  • Weber County now uses a centralized county system to track and manage government records requests under the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA).
  • Dozens of smaller improvements saving a few hundred to a few thousand dollars each year