The office of Santa Barbara County Auditor-Controller is not one that usually draws a lot of attention and when it does get attention, it’s usually for all the wrong reasons. (For example, an embezzlement scheme by a Public Works Department employee that went undetected by auditors for 10 years.)

On June 5, voters will have an opportunity to elect a new Auditor-Controller. I urge you to vote for Jennifer Christensen for that office.

I have known Jennifer Christensen for more than 15 years, and I can say without reservation that she is a person of integrity, intelligence, and accomplishment. She is not a politician but rather is a financial professional who will keep a close watch on your taxpayer dollars.

In the aftermath of the January mudslides that have wreaked havoc on the county’s property tax base, strong fiscal management by the Auditor-Controller is more crucial than ever. We can’t afford another $2 million hit from an embezzlement scheme. Jennifer Christensen will use her experience in finance and accounting to ensure that internal controls are restored to the Auditor-Controller’s Office and that the employees who work there employ the highest ethical standards.

As the County’s Chief Investment Officer she wrote the policy and made the decisions that resulted in what was touted by a former county supervisor as the “largest rainy day fund in county history.”

I think it’s time that the person who created the nest egg be given the opportunity to guard it.

Please join me in voting for Jennifer Christensen.

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