Guinn names audit chief

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn today named a Carson City woman to head the team that will do a top-to-bottom examination of government agencies and their spending.

Becky Moody, a certified public accountant, will become chief of the Division of Internal Audits and will earn $81,300 a year.

"Our goal is to establish a solid process in which all state agencies and programs are diligently monitored so we have a clear picture of where we need to improve and how," Guinn said.

In his "State of the State" message, Guinn promised his administration would conduct a "fundamental review" of all agencies determining what essential services must be provided, how they can be more efficient and how to ensure a stable source of funding for those services.

He promised he would deliver to the 2001 Legislature "the most comprehensive review of state government in our history and a budget that reflects those findings ... a zero-based budget."

Moody for the past four years has been chief of the state's Office of Financial Management, Training and Controls in the state Budget Division. Before that she spent eight years supervising audits for private companies and government agencies.

"The governor wants a detailed and comprehensive review of how state agencies are performing," Moody said. "This is an enormous responsibility but a challenge I'm definitely looking forward to."

Her office will be supervised by state Budget Director Perry Comeaux and report to the executive branch audit committee composed of the governor, state constitutional officers and one member of the general public still to be named.

Guinn cited the enormous cost overruns on the state's welfare computer system known as NOMADS as an example of the type of situation he hopes to avoid through these audits.

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