To the Editor:

My name is Derek VanHouse and I am asking for your vote in the September 13 Republican primary to run for St. Lawrence County treasurer in the fall.

When towns, villages, school districts, businesses and other institutions across the North Country have needed an outsider to come in and look at their books to find out what’s happening with their money, they have hired me to provide them with an independent review of their finances and of the performance of the accountants and bookkeepers entrusted with our hard earned tax dollars.

I have conducted independent financial investigations of multi-million dollar agencies. I have a proven track record of helping to uncover incompetence and financial mismanagement. I know how to stop it and prevent it from happening again.

Am I saying St. Lawrence County is incompetent at managing the county’s money? No. What I’m saying is that St. Lawrence County is a quarter of a billion dollar business. We have more than 25 different departments, many of which have employees who oversee million dollar budgets.

The county has almost 800 employees; a lot of them are involved in handling your money. I am the only candidate who can provide an unbiased, independent analysis of how we can improve and reform the county’s finances.

St. Lawrence County is facing a critical time right now. The New York State Comptroller has reported that the county is financially stressed. The average homeowner is facing even more stress trying to pay all these rising county, town and school taxes. As a certified public accountant I am qualified to conduct a certified audit. If I’m elected county treasurer, the county will still have to have an outside CPA firm conduct audits, but I can make sure we are much better prepared.

Why does this matter? Most people don’t realize that the county administers millions and millions of dollars in federal and state funds. When government accountants make mistakes state and federal agencies can refuse to pay for services even though they may have already been provided. I know how to identify those problems and I know how to correct them.

People have asked me why I would give up a partnership in a very successful firm that bears my name. It’s simple. I’ve spent 17 years in the public accounting, 13 years as a CPA. It’s been exciting and rewarding. But over the past two years, I’ve been hearing from my good friend and former partner, Don Hooper, the chair of the county legislature’s finance committee, about the challenges our county faces. I see a unique opportunity to bring my skills to St. Lawrence County. I have real world experience managing an office. I get hired to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of employees and the way organizations handle money.

I am not running against anybody. I am running for the people of St. Lawrence County. My opponents are wonderful people but they have spent most of their careers inside county government, learning what they know from others in county government. We need a real outsider who can crack open the books and see how we can do a better job managing the public’s money. That’s what I have done for a living and that is what I will do for you.

Thank you and I would really appreciate your vote in the GOP primary election on September 13, 2016

Derek R. VanHouse

St. Lawrence County treasurer candidate