Auditor Question & Answer Portal

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Auditor Question & Answer Portal is a system that enhances the structure of checks and balances within Howard County government by streamlining the communication between the legislative and executive branch. During the budget process, the County Auditor’s Office on behalf of the County Council review the County Executive’s proposed operating and capital budget each year. In the past, the Auditor’s Office sent questions via email to various people in the Budget Office and other departments. This quickly became confusing as coordinating the answers became difficult. Follow-up questions from the Auditor’s Office would further complicate and convolute the process. The Auditor Question & Answer Portal solves this issue by requiring the Auditor’s Office to input their questions into the portal which then sends the question to the appropriate people in the process and returns the answer back through the same process. The streamlining of the process through the portal has increased response time and overall efficiency allowing for effective and crucial communication between the legislative and executive branches of Howard County Government.