Tulsa World: City auditor has new challenger for post

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City auditor has new challenger for post
The auditor's race is decided in a citywide vote.

CANDIDATES
City Auditor Phil Wood (left) and challenger Preston Doerflinger: Wood is running on his record and qualifications, while Doerflinger points to the Auditor's Office handling of Fire Department issues.

By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Published: 10/4/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 10/4/2009 5:12 AM

View more information about the candidates for auditor, mayor and City Council, read related city election stories, and view a map of City Council districts.

Longtime City Auditor Phil Wood will face political newcomer Preston Doerflinger in the municipal general elections Nov. 10.

Wood, 84 and a Democrat, has been auditor since 1988. Doerflinger, 37 and a Republican, is a health-care consultant and investor.

The auditor's term is for two years at an annual salary of $73,500, or 70 percent of the mayor's $105,000 salary.

The auditor's race is decided in a citywide vote. Tulsa has 92,109 registered Democrats, 95,439 Republicans and 25,074 independents.

"I'm running on my record and my qualifications of being a certified internal auditor and being concerned with the controls of city government," Wood said.

Over the years, Wood instituted computer-assisted auditing techniques to increase collections and to improve inventory controls across the city.

Wood said it was his office's advocacy that led to the establishment of an audit committee and an ethics ordinance, committee and hot line to improve city governance.

He said he has ensured that the office maintains independence, keeping the audit work constructive and professional and omitting destructive politics and "gotcha" auditing.

"The auditor's

work has nothing to do with politics," he said. "It has to do with following the rules of keeping the proper records and keeping track of the money."

In recent years, Wood has urged the City Council to change the auditor's position to an appointment with professional qualifications.

He was successful this year in getting the council to put a city charter amendment on the November ballot that, if approved by voters, would require the auditor to either be a certified public accountant or a certified internal auditor.

Wood said under his leadership there have been more than 1,000 recommendations to improve controls and the administration has accepted more than 900 of them.

Recently, the Auditor's Office was under fire by the council for the way it initially handled a council directive to investigate falsified training records in the Fire Department.

Wood said that in the beginning, "our interest was to get the problems corrected, and vast changes have been made by the Fire Department on how it handles training records."

"We were satisfied as far as we could see the changes were good," he said.

Although Wood had asked the council to cease its investigation when firefighters wouldn't cooperate, the Auditor's Office is still working to complete it.

Doerflinger said he thinks the Auditor's Office was too willing to stop its effort involving the Fire Department when it hit a roadblock.

While Doerflinger said he believes the Fire Department wanted resolution on the issue, "it's up to the auditor to find a way to get that resolution and not just give up."

The issue involved taxpayer funds and whether they were misspent, he said.

Doerflinger said that if he is directed by the council to do a job, "we will do it."

Doerflinger said he thinks he is qualified to be auditor because of his business experience.

Self-employed for 13 years, he currently owns PLD Management and has interest in several businesses.

He is a registered respiratory therapist by trade.

He said he also has begun the process of becoming a certified internal auditor.

Doerflinger said that if he's elected he will take on the role of "watchdog, versus Auditor Wood's current caretaker approach.

"We need somebody in the Auditor's Office who is truly going to be engaged in the process," he said. "I also think we need a new set of eyes after 21 years."

Doerflinger said Wood has had a very rigid audit schedule, narrowly focused on records being kept according to generally accepted accounting standards.

"I want to integrate performance audits into the auditor's schedule," he said.

Doerflinger said that for two decades, Wood has been able to define the auditor's role to exclude performance audits, which are how "we truly identify overall whether a department is operating most efficiently.

"I'm results oriented, and we don't have the luxury of not peeling back the layers anywhere we can to find efficiencies," he said.

"The citizens deserve that."

Doerflinger also said that if the Auditor's Office is unable to get the mayor or the council to listen to any suggestions, he will use the media to get his message to the public.

"I'm prepared to do it and I don't care if that is political," he said.

P.J. Lassek 581-8382
pj.lassek@tulsaworld.com By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (10/4/2009 6:01:10 AM) What a choice: Re-elect a Octogenarian who's been in office forever, or a elect a registered respiratory therapist.
	Report Comment annp, (10/4/2009 6:45:00 AM) Thank you, Phil Wood, for your many years of great public service!
	Report Comment afarhat, (10/4/2009 3:04:41 PM) A "pair of fresh eyes" may not be a bad idea, but it all depends on whose eyes they are. I have some serious concerns about Mr. Doerflinger and his "eyes". 1) He has "started" the process of becoming a Certified Internal Auditor. Now, we have to wait for him to finish his course of study, take the test, pass the test, and BEGIN his professional experience as an auditor, all while in office. This is a paid position, not a scholarship. 2) Doerflinger being a "businessman and investor" raises a big red flag for me. I smell conflict of interest. An auditor should be neutral. 3) It seems to me that Mr. Doerflinger is starved for publicity. I'm afraid he'll spend too much time in photoshoots and on TV, rather than in the office. I suggest a reality show. 4) Auditing is very tedious and requires a lot of patience and attention to details. It is a well-established technical profession. It's not about politics, waging wars, and revolutionizing everything. I truly believe in setting priorities, choosing our battles, and the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Change for the sake of change is a waste of time and resources. 5) I would like to know exactly what accomplishments in Mr Doerflinger's 13 years of self-employment he feels qualify him for this position. ("Self employed" is a very vague term.)
	Report Comment Brooksider, Tulsa (10/4/2009 10:14:35 PM) The Auditor's job is to recommend controls and observe operations to ensure accountability. The desired result requires the cooperation of the administration and Council. Confrontational methods simply do not work over time. The Internal Auditing Department's funding and staffing depend on the administration and Council, so it's a tough balancing act. Phil Woods has done an excellent job.
	Report Comment t-town resident, (10/8/2009 4:20:18 PM) After reading this article which seemed somewhat slanted to me, I went to Mr. Doerflinger's website to find out more him. I am more than confident that Mr. Doerflinger has the required skills and “energy” necessary to get the job done. The fact is being a Certified Internal Auditor is not a requirement for the position of City Auditor. With that being said, I respect the fact that Mr. Doerflinger is taking the necessary steps to become a Certified Internal Auditor. This speaks to his commitment to the job and the citizens of Tulsa. To run a successful business you must set priorities, choose your battles, and always be open to change. No one ever wants change for the sake of change! However, the fact that Mr Doerflinger is looking for ways to improve performance and efficiency is a “good thing”. Having a successful respiratory therapy business for 13 years, speaks well to his ability to oversee the financial side of a business. Most start up small businesses fail within the first year. You don’t have a successful business for 13 years without excellent management. That, along with his degree in Organizational Leadership more than qualifies Mr. Doerflinger for the position of City Auditor.

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