South Carolina State Auditor

South Carolina State Auditor
General information
Office Type:	Nonpartisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$187,200
2024 FY Budget:	$8,746,044
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	Serves at the pleasure of the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority
Selection Method:	Appointed by the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority
Current Officeholder
George L. Kennedy
Other South Carolina Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Comptroller • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The South Carolina Auditor is a state executive position in the South Carolina state government. The state auditor's office serves to deter fiscal mismanagement, fraud, and misuse of funds by state agencies and providers of Medicaid services. The state auditor is appointed by the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is George L. Kennedy. He began serving in October 2015, replacing the interim officeholder, Richard Gilbert, Jr., who had held the position since 2012.

Authority

The South Carolina Office of the State Auditor is derived from Title 11, Chapter 7 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.

Chapter 7, Section 11-7-10:

Selection; assistants. The State Fiscal Accountability Authority shall select the State Auditor, who shall select necessary assistants in conformity with the appropriations for the office.

Qualifications

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the requirements necessary to qualify for a state executive office. That information for the South Carolina State Auditor has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Appointments

South Carolina state government organizational chart

The state auditor is appointed by the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority.

Vacancies

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that details the process of filling vacancies for a state executive office. That information for the South Carolina State Auditor has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Duties

The mission of the state auditor’s office is to serve as a deterrent to fiscal mismanagement, fraud, and misuse of assets by state agencies and providers of Medicaid services and to provide audit coverage of those entities as required by law or regulation.

Section 11-7-20 of the South Carolina Code of Law calls for a regular audit of state agencies:

“

(A) All state agencies and entities supported partially or entirely by public funds are subject to audit by or under the oversight of the State Auditor, except as otherwise specifically provided by law. The State Auditor, to the extent practicable and consistent with his overall responsibility, shall audit or cause to be audited each State agency and entity annually.

”

Section 11-7-25 specifies the State Auditor should conduct periodic "audits of county and municipal treasurers, county court clerks, magistrates, and municipal courts as to imposition, collection, and remittance of fines and assessments."

Divisions

The South Carolina State Auditor is currently comprised as follows:

State Agency division

The State Agency's responsibilities include "the audit of the State’s comprehensive annual financial report and the audit of the State’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards."

Medicaid

The Medicaid division "ensures that our state’s nursing facilities providing Medicaid services comply with state and federal requirements related to cost reimbursement claims."

Internal Audit Services

The Internal Audit Services division "performs independent and objective assurance and consulting activities through a systematic and disciplined approach to evaluating governance, risk and compliance."

Administration

The Administration division includes:

• Human resources
• Purchasing
• Finance
• Report processing
• Technology support

State budget

See also: South Carolina state budget and finances

The budget for the state auditor's office was $8,746,044 for the 2024 fiscal year.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

2024

In 2024, the officer's salary was $187,200, according to the South Carolina Department of Administration.

2021

In 2021, the auditor received a salary of $165,872, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the state auditor received a salary of $165,872, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the state auditor received a salary of $147,052, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the state auditor received a salary of $147,052, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the state auditor received a salary of $141,396, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the auditor received a salary of $141,396, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the auditor received a salary $104,433, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the state auditor received a salary of $104,433, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the state auditor received a salary of $104,433, according to the Council of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the South Carolina State Auditor has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms South Carolina State Auditor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

South Carolina State Auditor - Google News

Contact information

Office of the State Auditor
1401 Main Street, Suite 1200
Columbia, SC 29201

Phone: (803) 253-4160
comment/question form

External links

Suggest a link

• South Carolina Office of the State Auditor