Job description | Chief financial officer of the state of Texas. Term is four years. |
Duties | Oversees financial procedures for state government departments and agencies; processes payments and deposits to the state treasury; manages statewide contracts with state and local government agencies. Responsible for tax collection, auditing, and enforcement. Estimates the amount of money the state will collect during each Legislative session; monitors economic trends. Provides financial impact estimates for the state budget and for bills being considered by the Legislature. Invests money on behalf of state and local government, through the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company. Administers Tobacco Enforcement Program; Texas Tuition Promise Fund; State Energy Conservation Office; and the Unclaimed Property Program. |
Annual salary | $153,750 |
Who’s Running?
Glenn Hegar (incumbent) Website: https://glennhegar.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlennHegarTX Twitter: https://twitter.com/Glenn_Hegar Email: glennhegar@yahoo.com | Republican |
Janet T. Dudding Website: https://www.janetdudding4texas.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Janet4Texas/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Janet4Texas | Democrat |
V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza Email: alonzoechevarriagarza@gmail.com | Libertarian |
Candidate Q&A
1. WHY ARE YOU THE BEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE? | |
Janet T. Dudding The Comptroller is the state’s accountant. I am the only accountant running. As a CPA with over 30 years of governmental audit, accounting, administration and even investigative experience, I have spent my career holding state and local governments and governmental officials accountable to the public. My candidacy’s endorsement by Texas AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, Annie’s List, Tejano Democrats, Stonewall Democratic Clubs in Dallas and San Antonio, College Democrats clubs, Young Democrats, and local, urban and rural Democratic groups demonstrates a wide range of support. |
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Glenn Hegar |
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2. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE CURRENT STRENGTHS OF, AND POTENTIAL RISKS TO, THE TEXAS ECONOMY, IN BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERM? | |
Janet T. Dudding Texas has the 9th largest economy in the world. We lead in energy. We also lead in greenhouse gas emissions, a leading cause of climate change. During recent years, Texas has repeatedly broken records for the most expensive climate-caused disasters. Texas houses several top tier research institutions. We have the know-how to be leaders in energy innovation. Let’s incentivize that energy innovation. Our public sector funding mechanisms are currently tied to oil and gas. As we diversify our energy portfolio, we need to look at diversifying the revenue streams supporting public services. One of the biggest risks to good governance is Texas’ lax campaign finance laws that allow unlimited contributions from special interest groups regulated by an office to make contributions to the politician running for that office. |
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Glenn Hegar |
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3. WHAT INVESTMENT VEHICLES ARE APPROPRIATE FOR STATE FUNDS? | |
Janet T. Dudding State government should follow GFOA (Governmental Finance Officer’s Association) best practices for treasury and investment management. |
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Glenn Hegar |
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4. HOW CAN THE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND EQUALITY OF ACCESS REGARDING CONTRACTS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE STATE? ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS APPROPRIATE? | |
Janet T. Dudding The Comptroller’s office should follow best practices in procurement as laid out by GFOA and NIGP (The Institute for Public Procurement). “RFP’s (Requests for Proposals) could include debriefs, protests and audits. The successful outcome of a procurement depends on the policies, procedures, planning, process design and execution, decisions, actions and inactions. All aspects of an RFP are subject to public scrutiny.” |
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Glenn Hegar |
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5. WHAT PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE COMPTROLLER WORK WELL? ARE THERE SOME THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT, OR ARE THERE NEW PROGRAMS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE? |
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Janet T. Dudding The Comptroller’s office is staffed with professionals trained and knowledgeable in the execution of the day to day duties of the office. There are special areas outside the routine that intrigue me. These areas include broadband development, energy and conservation, natural resources, Texas education and the opioid settlement. Both broadband and the opioid settlement are fairly new. I am disappointed that the Comptroller has failed to take action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am further disappointed that the current Comptroller wrote an op-ed assailing the federal government’s plans on federal land (1.77% of land in Texas). I am disappointed that the Comptroller failed to take any action to help The National Butterfly Center when bulldozers encroached on its property (which is not state property) clearing land for a border wall. The Comptroller ‘informs Endangered Species Act decisions to help communities and stakeholders develop voluntary conservation programs’ (paraphrased from Comptroller’s website). I am extremely disappointed that the Comptroller forsook his duty to provide transparency and accountability over public funds when he rolled back reporting requirements for Section 313 property tax abatement. The Comptroller reversed course only after being primaried by an Aggie running on the Section 313 decision. |
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Glenn Hegar |
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6. HOW CAN EVERYDAY TEXANS LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE DOES, AND ACCESS THE INFORMATION IT COLLECTS? | |
Janet T. Dudding If the everyday Texan has internet access, the Comptroller’s website (comptroller.texas.gov) details the functions and duties of the Comptroller’s office. |
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Glenn Hegar |
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7. ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? |
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Janet T. Dudding I learned in the Houston Chronicle’s endorsement of the current Comptroller that Comptroller Hegar “disregarded his duty by refusing to compensate Alred Dewayne Brown for more than 12 years of wrongful imprisonment even though the judge had ruled Brown ‘actually innocent’ in the 2003 capital murder of Houston Police Officer Charles R Clark. It wasn’t until the Texas Supreme Court in 2020 found Hegar ‘exceeded his authority’ in denying Brown that the comptroller’s office finally paid him.” |
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Glenn Hegar |
Recent News Articles
- Texas Comptroller Dem Candidate Janet Dudding discusses her goals for office,” KETK.com (May 10, 2022) https://www.ketk.com/news/local-news/exclusive-texas-comptroller-dem-candidate-janet-dudding-discusses-her-goals-for-office/ (includes video)
- “Texas Republicans bear down on Wall Street over its embrace of climate policies,” wealth management.com (Apr 28, 2022) https://www.wealthmanagement.com/etfs/texas-republicans-bear-down-wall-street-over-its-embrace-climate-policies
- “Democratic races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller head to runoffs,” inForney.com (Mar 3, 2022) https://www.inforney.com/texas/democratic-races-for-lieutenant-governor-attorney-general-comptroller-head-to-runoffs/article_84550564-9c74-5140-81a5-23a5df8ab7c6.html