Comptroller Mendoza celebrates four years of success, fiscal leadership

SPRINGFIELD — As Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza marks four years of overseeing the checkbook of the nation’s sixth most populous state, her priorities continue to be government transparency, financial stability and a commitment to Illinois’ most vulnerable residents.

Following a special election, Mendoza was sworn in as comptroller on Dec. 5, 2016, at the height of a crippling two-year state budget impasse. Her ability to manage the state’s finances during a crisis is being tested again as Illinois looks to overcome the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is a privilege and an honor to serve the people of Illinois,” Mendoza said. “I think it’s essential that elected officials find ways to work harder and smarter for taxpayers, and that’s something I’ve impressed on my staff for the past four years. Not only have we been successful, we have the receipts to prove it.”

Over the coming days, Mendoza will publish on social media a Top-10 list of her proudest and most consequential accomplishments of the past four years. Many of her successful initiatives involve making state finances more transparent and understandable.

Starting today in reverse order, we highlight Accomplishment #10:

Being fiscally responsible means walking the walk. During difficult budget times and right now when dollars must be prioritized for critical services like health care, Comptroller Mendoza has accomplished more with less, and led by example by voluntarily cutting 10% from her office budget. https://columbiachronicle.com/3533ab9a-b2f0-11e8-8ec4-8f51776ff949

Despite increased demands on the Comptroller’s office, Mendoza’s budget remains 10% lower than the budget she inherited from her predecessor four years ago.

Mendoza said COVID-19 has reinforced that government can, and must, embrace creativity and technology to become more efficient, relay timely information, interact with taxpayers, and simplify complicated data for citizens. The Illinois Office of Comptroller has been a leader on these fronts, establishing online tools for understanding the state’s COVID-19 spending, its bill backlog and more.

“Government has to be nimble, responsive and caring, and I think the pandemic has made it clear that we need to meet people where they are, especially if that’s at home in front of an iPad for months on end,” she said.

“I look forward to more opportunities in 2021 and beyond to meet these challenges head-on, to be a voice of reason and reassurance in potentially turbulent economic times, and to help ensure a stable financial future for the people of this state.”

To follow Comptroller Mendoza’s social media accounts, find her at @ILComptroller on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.