Maas emphasizes transparency and oversight in campaign for Iowa State Auditor

STATEWIDE — Abigail Maas, a farmer, business owner and county supervisor from Parnell, has announced her candidacy on the Republican ticket for Iowa State Auditor, citing concerns over government spending, property taxes and a lack of oversight at the local level.
Maas, 34, said her decision to run stems from frustration with recurring reports of financial mismanagement across the state.
“I am running for State Auditor because I am fed up with opening my phone to see the latest cases of embezzlement or misuse of funds at the local level,” Maas said. “Property taxes are a real issue in Iowa and the fact we have little to no oversight on them irritates me. I want to require audits on every entity, every year- just like us taxpayers have to go through our books to report our income to the government.”
Drawing on her background in both public and private sector accounting, Maas said she believes she is well-prepared to take on the role. She also highlighted her experience mentoring county supervisors and working within local government systems.
“I have personal experience in accounting, both in the public and private sector,” she said. “I have also had the privilege of mentoring county supervisors from across our state and am in the ‘belly of the beast’ when it comes to property taxes. I know exactly where money is being wasted and will utilize that knowledge and experience to tackle the fraud.”
Maas added that she views the auditor’s role as both a leadership and public-facing position.
“I also view the state auditor as a department head, leading the team to a common goal and being the liaison back to the public,” she said. “I have personal leadership experience with my businesses and as a supervisor- which is one of the biggest assets I will bring to the office. I can get the employees united towards a common goal of increasing efficiency and oversight.”
A central focus of Maas’ campaign is property taxes, which she identified as the most pressing issue facing Iowans.
“Property taxes. Plain and simple. They outpace our income taxes by over $1 billion and yet we still have 1600 entities levying $51 million/year with NO oversight,” Maas said. “People are getting taxed out of their homes and we have to bring transparency to the table so the average Iowan can understand who is spending their money wisely, and who is not.”
If elected, Maas outlined several priorities aimed at increasing accountability and transparency in government finances.
“We need to change Iowa Code to require every entity levying our tax dollars to be audited. We need to also change the code to require yearly audits. The vast majority of cities are only required to be audited every 8 years and these are the exact entities we see in the news with embezzlement issues. I want to implement a statewide software system to eliminate accounting variables and increase auditing efficiency,” she said. 
“I then want to turn all of this data online so every taxpayer can see exactly how their money is being spent. Transparency is the key to truly tackling the property tax issue in Iowa and to expose the fraud, waste, and abuse.”
On economic development, Maas said long-term growth in rural communities depends on affordability rather than temporary incentives.
“As a business owner, I know true economic development is property tax relief,” she said. “You can utilize TIF, tax abatement, and incentives for businesses to come in but those are only temporary. And the rest of the residents and property owners are left on the hook for their advantages. If we want people to build businesses and get people to stay in Iowa, we have to make it affordable.”
While acknowledging that education policy falls outside the direct scope of the auditor’s office, Maas emphasized the importance of financial transparency in school funding.
“While not directly related to the auditor’s office, education is very important,” she said. “Knowing where the funding is going is equally as important. Right now it takes a PhD to understand the school funding formula and it’s difficult to know what is being spent on education vs. administration and athletics. I will reiterate the need for a software system to bring transparency to the taxpayers.”
Maas said her broader approach to taxes and government spending centers on improving efficiency through collaboration.
“The best way to control taxes is to fix the spending,” she said. “My solution to spending is collaboration. We have to start fostering collaboration for services between public entities and also public-private partnerships. There is so much room to save the taxpayers money while maintaining services, through collaboration.”
She also stressed the nonpartisan nature of the auditor’s role and her intent to work across political divides.
“This office should never be partisan in the first place,” Maas said. “My plan’s and vision have been wildly popular from both sides of the aisle because they are not partisan- they are plain common sense.”
While campaigning, Maas said she has received strong support from both voters and local officials.
“Nearly every person I have spoken to has been very supportive of my plans,” she said. “I think transparency is an easy sell. Most of the local elected officials are also supportive as most of us have nothing to hide! I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of people notifying me of potential issues in our state. If I get elected, we are going to be very busy!”
As the Primary Election approaches, Maas said she hopes voters will see her candidacy as focused on accountability rather than politics.
“State Auditor isn’t a political title for me,” she said. “It’s a job and I will work very hard to make sure Iowan’s know their tax dollars are actually being watched, and watched well. It’s been something on my radar for years and isn’t a political launching pad to higher office, or a step stone down from one. That is what differentiates me from my opponents and why I ask people for their vote. I have identified issues in the current system and developed a true plan to fix it. I don’t care who’s misspending money, their status or their political party, I will fight hard to make every dollar accountable to the public.”