A challenger has announced their intent to run for Summit County auditor, setting up a possible primary election.
Peoa resident Cindy Keyes plans to challenge incumbent and fellow Democrat Michael Howard for the department head position. Howard, who has served as county auditor for seven years, is seeking another term.
Keyes’ interest in the role stems from her time attending South Summit High School. While there, she worked with former Summit County Treasurer Glen Thompson on a resume writing assignment, but Thompson also took the time to give Keyes a tour of his Coalville office and explained his role as an elected official.
“From that time on there has always been a desire to someday run for office as well,” she said.
Keyes later earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and currently works as the business manager for the Summit County Health Department. She oversees an $11 million budget, which is funded by federal, state and local grants, in addition to taxpayer monies. Keyes has spent 10 years working in the private sector and 15 years in government in the financial field.
She believes she’s developed the right skills for the auditor’s job, which she sees as keeping integrity by auditing financials and procedures, and thinks she has a good sense of checks and balances.
If elected, Keyes wants to ensure tax dollars are properly spent and accounted for through updated policies and innovative, forward-thinking procedures.
“I will use my experience to ensure transparency and accountability for the people of Summit County,” she said.
Two or more Democrats running for the office would give delegates the opportunity to select a nominee at the Summit County Democratic Party convention this spring. If no candidate surpassed a certain threshold of the vote at the convention, the race would head to a primary.
The filing window for candidates to formally launch bids for office opens Monday and will run through Friday at 5 p.m. More information is available at the Summit County Clerk’s Office’s website, summitcounty.org/281/Voter-Registration-Elections.