Former Democratic Party vice chair and current Portage County Board of Supervisors member Tom Mallison recently announced his candidacy for Portage County treasurer to replace incumbent Stephanie Stokes.

“I have stood by and watched the office of the treasurer come under attack, internal investigation and intensive public scrutiny at a time when public officials across this county are improving their approach to transparency and service,” said Mallison. “It is time the tax payers of this county have a person in the office of county treasurer that has the ability, integrity and determination to serve at the highest level of dedication and skill.

“I announce my candidacy today (Monday, April 11) to change the perception of this office from a place of inability, questionable practices and lack of accounting knowledge, to a place of service, attention to detail, along with the highest fiduciary commitment and fairness,” he said.

“Putting the internal investigation aside, in 2013, the county brought in a third party to conduct an audit where the report indicated significant errors, lack of accounting knowledge and questionable cash management practices, putting the taxpayers at a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest earnings,” Mallison said. “These areas of focus had over three years’ time to be addressed.

“Our current county treasurer had every opportunity to improve her staff, find greater knowledge and simply step forward in what we all understand as improvement: she did not do so, and now has nothing but an audit report showing 10 major deficiencies and an internal investigation to show for it,” Mallison said.

“It is time to put the policies, procedures, and internal controls in place, to drive the efficiency and accountability that every single taxpayer in this county deserves,” he said.

“I am running for county treasurer to serve in a way that has been blatantly absent for over a decade, and to continue to give back to this great county that has given so much to me and my family,” Mallison said.