State auditor’s race contentious

Barbara Sykes

Mary Taylor

By Michael Edwards
Contributing Writer
Union County Post

With nearly 1,000 employees – more than 700 of whom are auditors – the Ohio Auditor of State’s office is the largest accounting office in the state. The auditor of state is the constitutional officer responsible for auditing all public offices in the state including cities; villages; schools; universities; counties; townships; and state agencies, boards, and commissions. The office’s primary mission is to ensure that public funds are spent appropriately in accordance with state and local law.
Two state representatives from Summit County are running for the seat. Both candidates are running on a platform of restoring and providing Ohio’s taxpayers with the highest levels of accountability, integrity, and professionalism. That’s about where their common ground ends.
A federal judge in Cleveland recently gave the green light to a civil rights lawsuit brought by Democratic candidate Barbara Sykes against her Republican opponent, Mary Taylor, and set a hearing date for Sept. 29. Sykes is black and Taylor is white. In a series of poll questions about Sykes’ voting record and other issues, potential voters were asked by Taylor’s campaign about their opinion of Sykes’ presidency of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. Taylor’s campaign has denied the race-baiting allegation and says that Sykes’ information about the poll question is a misinterpretation.
U.S. District Judge James Gwin refused, however, to grant Sykes’ request for a temporary restraining order to force Taylor to immediately stop using the controversial poll.
Christina Haddad, Taylor’s campaign manager, would not elaborate about how the question was worded but said it would be released soon. In preparation for the upcoming hearing, Taylor’s campaign will have to provide a copy of the questions used in the poll and a list of people called.
What has turned a traditionally quiet race into a contentious one? Perhaps it is the fact the auditor will have a seat at the table in 2011 when new district boundaries are drawn for the Ohio legislature. The Republican Party is fighting to retain its political dominance throughout the state and the Democratic Party is aggressively seeking to regain control.
Political redistricting occurs every 10 years to account for shifts in the state’s population. With it comes the possibility of gerrymandering and the deliberate manipulation of political boundaries for electoral advantage, usually of incumbents or a specific political party. It often makes the process politically contentious, especially when the two houses of the legislature, or the legislature and the governor are from different parties.
“ After much thought, I made the decision to run for State Auditor because the current atmosphere in Ohio requires real leadership, someone who has the courage and experience to ensure accountability and make sure our tax dollars are spent responsibly,” Sykes said about her candidacy. “We shouldn’t have to rely on newspapers to learn the state is investing in rare coins or that those investments are missing.”
Sykes has more than 25 years of political experience. She was the first African-American woman to serve on the Akron City Council and served 12 years as the Deputy Auditor of Administration for Summit County. She is currently serving her third term in the Ohio House of Representatives (D-Akron) where she has also served as president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus since 2003.
Sykes serves on a variety of committees both local and national. In the House of Representatives, she is the highest ranking Democrat on both the Ways & Means Committee and the Human Services Subcommittee of Finance and Appropriations.
Sykes earned both her undergraduate degree in social work and master’s degree in public administration from the University of Akron. Sykes and her husband, former State Representative Vernon Sykes, have two daughters, Stancy and Emilia, and one grandson, Hugh.
“ If ever there was a time to take back Ohio – now is that time,” said Sykes. “Mismanaged tax dollars means less money for schools, healthcare and high-quality job creation.”
Taylor was elected to the Ohio House in 2002, where she currently serves as a member of the House Ways and Means, Education and Economic Development and Environment Committees.
Previously, Taylor served as a member of Green City Council. She is a certified public accountant with the Akron-based CPA firm of Bober, Markey, Fedorovich & Company.
“ I’ve dedicated myself to this race for the last 13 months and I’m very pleased with the progress made thus far. It’s important for the voters in Ohio to know and understand my qualifications and vision for the office of Auditor of State,” Taylor said.
Taylor has also served as an adjunct professor of accounting for Walsh University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Akron.
Taylor and her husband, Don, own and operate a construction management company in the Akron area. They live in Green with their two sons, Joe and Michael.
Taylor is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of CPAs, where she previously served as a Director for the Akron/Canton Chapter and a chair of the Professional Forums Committee. Taylor is also a 2003 graduate of the BOWHAY Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD) program.