From left: Doug Hoffer, H. Brooke Paige Credit: Courtesy

The state auditor is charged with making sure state government is spending our tax dollars effectively. Doug Hoffer, the current auditor — first elected in 2012 — is running for reelection.

Doug Hoffer

Age: 73
Town of residence: Burlington
Occupation: State auditor, previously had a 24-year career as a public policy analyst
Political party: Democrat/Progressive
Website: none, contact drhoffer@comcast.net

What areas of policy and state spending deserve scrutiny in the coming years?

Health care. State IT spending. Economic development. Lake cleanup. Climate. Broadband.

H. Brooke Paige

Age: 71
Town of residence: Washington
Occupation: Retired sales executive and retail CEO
Political party: Republican
Website: None, contact donnap@sover.net

What areas of policy and state spending deserve scrutiny in the coming years?

The Auditor of Accounts Office has become more of a political operation and less an office that reviews the state’s “books” and promotes good business practices, as well as rooting out errors, waste, corruption, fraud. I would return it to its intended “job” to save the taxpayers from unnecessary expenditures.

The original print version of this article was headlined “Candidates for Auditor”