Cynthia Cloud, CPA puts in a bid for Wyoming State Auditor

“The taxpayers de-serve the highest level of accountability and efficiency. As the next Auditor, they can count on me to improve the operations of the office. In other words, do more with less,” says Republican candidate for Wyoming State Auditor Cynthia Cloud when summing up her views. “Wyoming needs some belt tightening. I will advocate for cost savings and efficiencies in our state agencies and work to improve Wyoming’s economic environment so our children can find good jobs within our great state.”
A Certified Public Accountant, Cloud also owns and operates a small business with her husband in Cody. Cloud and her family moved to Wyoming in 2003 in a relocation spurred by the desire for Wyoming’s quality of life.
“I have a strong business background, along with my public accountant background, and I think that’s an asset and a strength I would bring to the Auditor’s office,” says Cloud. “I’ve audited in the fields of oil and gas, construction, health care, hospital districts, water districts and school districts, and I will bring all of that information with me to the Auditor’s office. I will be a valuable asset to the State Land Board and the State Loan and Investment Board when making decisions, because I do have a strong business background.”
Of why she chose to run for State Auditor, Cloud says she’s been involved with the local community, and the more she was involved the more interested she became in using her qualifications and skills on a broader application.
As mentioned, one of her main goals is tightening Wyoming’s budgetary belt. “I would like to implement efficiencies within the office to save money, and I’d look at the State Auditor’s budget and trim it, as well. I’m absolutely in favor of shrinking the state budget.”   
“I want to look at what we’re spending, how we’re spending it, and whether or not it’s adding a service to our agencies, because we’re in the customer service business,” she explains. “The agencies are our customer, and the farmers and ranchers are their customers, so there’s a trickle down effect. I want to look at how we’re doing business, and whether we can do it more effectively.”
Cloud says the responsibility for the financial operations of the entire state is the heartbeat of the State Auditor’s office. “The Treasurer receives the money, and the Auditor pays it out. I intend to make sure we have the best talent and resources available to keep our financial operations running at peak performance,” she says.
The State Auditor controls the state budget, which is composed of $17 million. “One thing I want to look at is the contracts in the Auditor’s office. The computer contract for the software is coming up in 2011, and that’s a critical place to save money. That’s one place I want to start.”
Of the State Auditor’s role on the State Land Board, Cloud says, “Ranchers depend on state land leases for their operations to be financially viable, and they rely on the State Land Board for the fees that are set. The auditor is one of the five elected responsible for making decisions on farm and ranch loans, and I feel qualified to make those decisions with my business background when evaluating the applications, and as an auditor I’m trained to ask questions.”
Cloud says one of her goals for the Auditor’s office is to increase paperless transactions. She would also like to conduct a survey of the software system users before the contract negotiation in 2011.
Cloud says she’s been doing her homework, and intends to step into the Auditor’s role and hit the ground running should she take office.
“I’ve heard a lot lately about the Code of the West, and so many of its elements a person can’t find in any other place than Wyoming, and that’s what I want to help maintain in the State Auditor’s office, especially on the Boards and Commissions,” says Cloud. “It’s important to protect that way of life and carry it on to the next generation, because they’re out leaders and if we lose this quality of life we’ll be just like any other place in America.”
Cloud says she plans to use Ronald Reagan Republican principles to guide her in the execution of her duties as the next auditor. “I firmly believe in a smaller less intrusive government. Those are the goals I will strive for as Wyoming’s State Auditor,” she says. “I am not looking to expand the role, but rather streamline the office.”
For more information on Wyoming State Auditor 2010 Candidate Cynthia Cloud, visit her Facebook page or cynthiacloud.com. Christy Hemken is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at christy@wylr.net.