Republican State Auditor candidates Adam Thompson and Ray Bryan have both come out in support of two transparency bills by Rep. Paul Demarco, R-Homewood, which were pre-filed earlier this week ahead of the 2014 legislative session.

One of the bills deals directly with the State Auditor’s office, requiring them to operate a searchable, public database that will list all property owned by the state valued at $500 or more.

The second bill mandates the Finance Department to create an automated inventory of all facilities and lands that are owned, leased, or occupied by the state.

Thompson, who previously worked in the State Auditor’s office before becoming a staffer for the Secretary of State, said he agrees with the proposed measures and believes they will increase government transparency.

“I strongly support this process and have since my employment in the State Auditor’s Office,” said Thompson. “The more transparency we can have in state government, the better.”

Thompson’s competitor for the GOP State Auditor nomination, Anniston Attorney Ray Bryan, echoed Thompson’s support for the bills.

“By having a searchable system, it will make it easier for citizens to become watchdogs of the bureaucrats,” Bryan told Yellowhammer.

Under the proposed bills, the public would be able to search the database by agency or by the department that controls the property. They can also search its location, description and the date it was recorded.

The directory would be updated once a month and accessed through either the State Auditor’s website or the state’s official website.

“This was one of my goals for the State Auditor’s office and I stand ready to fully implement this important legislation when elected,” Thompson declared. “I’m glad that members of the Legislature recognize the importance and need for the State Auditor.”

Thompson’s comments with regard to the “need for the State Auditor” are in reference to one of the planks in his opponent’s campaign platform. Bryan is running for auditor to abolish the office all together.

Bryan said Tuesday, though, that he hopes the proposed bills will allow the State Auditor to streamline the use of the state’s property and equipment.

“If the State Auditor can identify underutilized property in the state’s inventory… it will allow state agencies that are in need of additional items — like computers or copy machines — to [request underutilized] property be transferred [to them] instead of buying something new at taxpayer expense,” Bryan said.

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