Indiana County Auditors' Fall Conference 2022

 County auditors, staff members, state officials, and vendors gathered for the Indiana County Auditors' fall conference Oct. 25-28, 2022 at the Belterra Resort in Switzerland County.

The week of training and networking included recognition of the County Auditors who have served on association committees and as district chairs, recognition of those leaving office this year, and the election of the 2023 officers.

Below are some scenes from our fall conference. Videos of the presentations will be posted on this website once they are available.

Registration Opens! ICAA officers Deb Stevens, Rachel Oesterreich and Amy Hochstrasser welcome county auditors to conference at the registration table.

A scene of the conference training.

Indiana Deputy State Examiners Beth Kelley (seated) and Tammy White (at podium) give conference opening remarks. 

DLGF Commissioner Wes Bennett, in his address to the county auditors, urged the auditors whose terms are ending to "finish strong!"

Also addressing the county auditors was Indiana Auditor of State Tera Klutz, who spoke on matters including upcoming legislative issues.

Association of Indiana Counties Executive Director David Bottorff spoke on several topics, including the upcoming Newly Elected Officials training on Dec. 6-8 and statewide proposals to improve mental health services.

Leading a number of training sessions on appropriations, the chart of accounts, payroll processes and more was Lori Rogers, SBOA Technical Assistance Director for Counties.

Leading training sessions on ARPA, prescribed forms, federal grant audits and more was Ricci Hofherr, SBOA Technical Assistance Director for Counties.

Speaking on settlement were Jamie Cope (seated) and Kim Diller (at podium) from the Auditor of State Office.

Also speaking to the auditors was Fred VanDorp, DLGF Budget Director. Seated is ICAA President Jennifer Flater.

Giving updates about the Indiana Public Defender Commission was Andrew Cullen, Director of Public Policy & Communications.

Speaking on the Indiana Open Door Law was Public Access Counselor Luke Britt.

The Association's Wednesday evening activity was Oktoberfest, which included an upbeat dueling piano performance. Joining the entertainers onstage were AIC's Jacque Clements and Ohio County Auditor Amy Hochstrasser.

Receiving recognition for their work on the ICAA Education Committee were (left to right) Christina Sriver, Chad Shireman, Debbie Walker, Tami Jackson, and Susan Sleeper.

Receiving recognition for their work on the ICAA Legislative Committee were (left to right) Jennifer Flater, Debbie Stevens, Bob Plantenga, Vicki Urbanik, Nancy Marsh, Amy Hochstrasser, Brian Gerth, Rick Gardner, and Mary Brown. Not shown is Legislative Committee Chair Nick Jordan, who received this year's Presidential Award.

Recognized for their work as ICAA District Chairs were (left to right) Julia Reeves, Lonnie Stroud, Patty Pickens, Jennifer Andel, Gayle Rogers, and Gregg Townsend.

2022 ICAA Officers (left to right): Amy Hochstrasser of Ohio County, Debbie Stevens of Warrick County, Christina Sriver of Fulton County, Jennifer Flater of Clay County, Rachel Oesterreich of Starke County, Deb Carnes of Hancock County, and Vicki Urbanik of Porter County.

A number of county auditors are leaving office at the end of this year because of term limits. Shown here are some of the outgoing auditors: (back row) Jennifer Andel of Montgomery County, Kim Koomler of Steuben County, Gregg Townsend of Tipton County, Gayle Rogers of White County, Julie Fox of Marshall County, Bob Plantenga of Tippecanoe County, (front row) Debbie Stevens of Warrick County, Jennifer Flater of Clay County, and Vicki Urbanik of Porter County.

At the ICAA business meeting, treasurer Rachel Oesterreich gave the association's fall financial report, and Tami Jackson of Newton County gave the internal audit findings.

ICAA 2023 Officers: Leading the County Auditors' Association in 2023 will be president Christina Sriver of Fulton County. Joining her on the board will be (left to right) Amy Hochstrasser, Treasurer; Rachel Oesterreich, President-Elect; Jennifer Flater, Past-President; Deb Carnes, Vice-President; and Jennifer Welsh, Secretary.

Fall, 2022 Conference is Nearly Here!

Our Indiana County Auditors' Association's 2022 fall conference is right around the corner. We will  meet at Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Ind. Oct. 25 through Oct. 28.

Here is updated information about our conference:

• The Association of Indiana Counties will offer an Institute for Excellence class on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 25^th. The topic is "Leadership," and the speaker is Tim Rahschulte of the Professional Development Academy. Registration for this class is through AIC (www.indianacounties.org)

• Tuesday evening is Vendor Night.

• Wednesday and Thursday training will be facilitated by the Indiana State Board of Accounts.  The SBOA sent out the Call Letter and Agenda on Sept. 29. Here are the links for the Call Letter and Conference Agenda

• The Wednesday evening entertainment will be Oktoberfest with a beer garden theme! Come dress up in Oktoberfest attire or anything that goes well with a beer garden theme! Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and boardwalk games at 7 p.m. We will have an Oktoberfest Costume Contest and dueling pianos as well!

• The Auditors’ Association business meeting will be 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday.

• Thursday evening is the Association dinner with a special guest providing entertainment. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. and the guest entertainment at 7 p.m.

• On Friday morning, the SBOA will continue training and Q & A from 9 a.m. to noon.

• Our conference will conclude at noon on Friday.

We look forward to seeing you at Belterra! 

Auditors Attend AIC Annual Conference and Affiliate Meeting

The Association of Indiana Counties held its annual conference September 19-22 at the Century Center in South Bend. During the conference, the Indiana County Auditors' Association held an affiliate session, at which we heard from a variety of state officials and participated in a roundtable discussion about important topics affecting our offices.

Congratulations to ICAA President Jennifer Flater for being recognized as "Auditor of the Year" by the AIC and to all the county auditors and deputies who were recognized for their ongoing education through the AIC Institute for Excellence.

Below are some scenes from the AIC conference.

The AIC Institute for Excellence honored 43 county officials for their continuing education efforts. In the photo above are some of the County Auditors and deputies who received Institute certificates and/or other awards. Shown left to right are: Kris Jensen, Elkhart County Property Compliance Manager; Amy Hochstrasser, Ohio County Auditor; Jennifer Flater, Clay County Auditor; Patty Pickens, Elkhart County Auditor; Kim Meyers, Steuben County Auditor; Vicki Urbanik, Porter County Auditor; Lisa McCormick Wells County Auditor.
Other county auditors and deputies honored were: Pam Goffinet, Perry County Auditor; Tiara Jackson, Elkhart County First Deputy Auditor; Beth Myers, Carroll County Auditor; Susan Sleeper, DeKalb County Auditor; Amy Thompson, Johnson County First Deputy Auditor; Mary Brown, Miami County Auditor; Julia Reeves, Brown County Auditor; BJ Farrell, Warrick County Deputy Auditor; Gayle Rogers, White County Auditor; Christina Sriver, Fulton County Auditor.

Auditor of the Year! ICAA 2022 President Jennifer Flater was selected by the association as the AIC's Auditor of the Year.

Presenting the award to Jennifer Flater is AIC Board President Kent Ward.

Indiana State Board of Accounts representatives spoke at our Auditors' Affiliate session. Shown are Beth Kelly, Deputy State Examiner; Paul Joyce, State Examiner; Lori Rogers and Ricci Hofherr, SBOA Government Technical Assistance and Compliance Directors for Counties.

ICAA President Jennifer Flater addresses the affiliate meeting.

AIC Board President Kent Ward, Incoming President Mendy Lassaline, and AIC Executive Director David Bottorff spoke at our Affiliate session. 

Also speaking at our Affiliate session was Department of Local Government Finance Commissioner Wes Bennett.

Auditors attending the Affiliate meeting.

Fall, 2022 Conference!

 County Auditors,

Our Indiana County Auditors' Association's 2022 fall conference is right around the corner. We will be meeting at Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Ind. Oct. 25 through Oct. 28.

The registration deadline is Oct. 12. Emails were sent on Friday, Sept. 9 with the registration form. The registration form is also available at the following link: Fall 2022 Auditor Registration.

The special group room rate at Belterra will be available until Oct. 12. To reserve a room, you must register online at the following link: INDIANAAUDITORASSOC-S1022IA

The following information will help you plan for the conference:

• The Association of Indiana Counties will offer an education class on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 25^th.  Registration for this class is through AIC.

• Tuesday evening is vendor night.

• Wednesday and Thursday training will be facilitated by the Indiana State Board of Accounts.  The SBOA will provide an agenda and a call letter separately.

• The Wednesday evening entertainment will be a Beer Garden Theme, dinner, and games at the resort.

• The Auditors’ Association business meeting will be 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday.

• Thursday evening is the Association dinner with special guest providing entertainment at the resort.

• On Friday morning, the SBOA will continue training and Q & A from 9 a.m. to noon.

• Our conference will conclude at noon on Friday.

We look forward to seeing you at Belterra!

Spring Conference, 2022!

The Indiana County Auditors' Association was pleased to host our 2022 spring conference April 26-28 in Indianapolis. This was our first Association-wide in-person spring conference since 2019.

Our event opened with an AIC Institute of Excellence class, followed by a full day of speakers from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, Auditor of State, Indiana Public Access Counselor, and INPRS. Our Association evening activity was a "Wine and Canvas" event, where we painted a sunset scene on a wooden board in the shape of Indiana. Our conference culminated in the SBOA-called auditor training on topics including the American Rescue Plan Act, enhanced regulatory financial reporting, and new state legislation.

Thank you to all the speakers, vendors, county auditors, and auditor deputies who attended and helped to make this conference a success!

ICAA officers Debbie Stevens and Debra Carnes work the registration table.

Welcome to conference!

2022 ICAA officers:  Debbie Stevens, Rachel Oesterreich, Jennifer Flater, Debra Carnes, Christina Sriver, and Vicki Urbanik

ICAA President Jennifer Flater gives opening remarks with Jacque Clements of AIC.

Indiana Public Access Counselor Luke Britt addresses the Open Door Law.

INPRS representatives Michelle Blahay, Lisa Anderson, and Maretha Barnes present on Indiana's Public Employees Retirement Fund.

Auditor of State Tera Klutz and AOS Janie Cope speak on settlement, the state tax surplus refund, and other matters.

DLGF Budget Director Fred Van Dorp addresses steps to take to help prevent errors in tax billing.

Auditors are artists, too! Below are some scenes of our Wine and Canvas event, at which we literally painted Indiana!

The SBOA state-called training kicked off with opening remarks by (left to right) AIC Executive Director David Bottorff, State Examiner Paul Joyce, Deputy State Examiner Tammy White, and Deputy State Examiner Beth Kelley.

Ricci Hofherr, Governmental Technical Assistance & Compliance Director at SBOA, addresses financial reporting and audit issues.

Several county auditors who came into office together after the 2014 elections and who will be term-limited at the end of this year gather for what will be their last official spring conference together as county auditors. Left to right are: Debbie Stevens of Warrick County, Pam Goffinet of Perry County, Jennifer Flater of Clay County, Vicki Urbanik of Porter County, Patty Ball of Daviess County, and Julie Fox of Marshall County.

County Auditors' Spring 2022 Conference

The Indiana County Auditors' Association's spring conference is fast approaching!

Our  conference will kick off with an Association of Indiana Counties' Institute Class on Tuesday, April 26. Our County Auditor Association day will be on Wednesday, April 27, followed by the State Board of Accounts-called training on Thursday, April 28.

For Wednesday's session, representatives from the following offices are scheduled to speak: Auditor of State, Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, INPRS, and Indiana Public Access Counselor. Click here for the agenda.

Click here for the agenda for Thursday's SBOA session.

The conference will be at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing.

For the registration form for County Auditors, click here: Auditor Registration Form

For the registration form for vendors, click here: Vendor Registration Form

Conference Items

• The AIC's education class will be at 1 p.m. on April 26.  Registration for the class is separate from conference registration through the AIC website.
• Tuesday evening is Vendor night.
• Tuesday night hotel expense is not eligible for payment by unappropriated funds.  You may use your Elected Official Training Fund or General Fund appropriations.     
• The Auditors’ Association has planned a full day of training including our Association meeting for Wednesday.
• Wednesday evening is our Association night.  We will have dinner, followed by a painting event by Wine and Canvas. Please note if you mark that you will be attending the dinner and/or Wine and Canvas that the association must pay for the number of reservations turned in. Because we must pay for the reserved spots, please register for the event only if you definitely plan to attend.
• Wednesday night hotel expense is eligible for unappropriated funds.
• Thursday is the SBOA state-called meeting, a one-day training.
• The conference ends on Thursday at the conclusion of the SBOA training (instead of the usual Friday morning).

Hotel Information

The Sheraton at Keystone’s phone number for reservations is 1-888-627-7814. Our group code is AS4. To reserve online, use the link below:

Book your group rate for Indiana County Auditor's Association Spring Conference

AIC Legislative Conference, 2022

Indiana County Auditors were among the approximately 200 county officials from throughout the state who attended the AIC's 2022 Legislative Conference, held in downtown Indianapolis, Jan. 25-26.

At our Association's break-out meeting, we heard a legislative update from our lobbyist, Mark Palmer. We also heard an update on topics including the annual financial report from Lori Rogers and Ricci Hoffherr, Indiana State Board of Accounts Directors of Audit Services for Counties.

We also reminded auditors that this year, we will once again have a spring conference in addition to our fall conference. Our spring conference will be April 27-28 at the Sheraton at Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, with an AIC Institute for Excellence class on April 26. Our fall conference will be Oct. 25-28 at Belterra Casino Resort.

Owen County Council member and AIC board member Anton Neff leads a discussion with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.

Dr. Larry DeBoer, professor emeritus at Purdue University, outlines a study with Policy Analytics about Indiana's personal property tax and how adjustments in the tax structure would impact local government.

Keynote speaker at the conference was Timothy Rahschulte, CEO of NACo's Professional Development  Academy, who spoke about leveraging local leadership through legislation.

Ricci Hoffherr and Lori Rogers of the SBOA speaks at our breakout session.

Indiana County Auditors' Association lobbyist Mark Palmer gives a legislative update.

ICAA officers Rachel Oesterreich, Debbie Stevens, Christina Sriver, and Debra Carnes at the breakout session.

ICAA 2022 Officers (left to right): Vicki Urbanik, past-president; Rachel Oesterreich, treasurer; Christina Sriver, vice-president; Debra Carnes, secretary; Jennifer Flater, president; and Debbie Stevens, president-elect.