- April 24, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Ken Mazzie
AGE: 55
FAMILY: Married, two children
QUIRKY FACT: Growing up, family grew all their vegetables
BIO: Experience includes auditing, investigative accounting, litigation support, business reorganization, expert witness testimony, business administration. Involved in the following organizations, past and present: Institute of Certified Public Accountants; American Institute of Forensic Accountants; Valuation Forensic and Litigation Section of Florida CPAs; Multistate Insurance and Mortgage License; Investment Advisor Representative; Rotary Club; Flagler County Ad Hoc Budget Committee; Champs Help Association Inc.; Elks; Palm Coast Civic Association
How does the clerk impact the average resident?
The clerk is required by law to only make payments of funds that are legal and authorized (by the County Commission). Any wrongful payment, intentional or otherwise, or misappropriation of funds is normally the subject of malfeasance. Our current clerk was cited in the State of Florida Auditor General report Number 2009-194 for mis-spending approximately $5 million, paying bills of approximately $1 million that were not authorized, internal control deficiencies (internal controls are procedures put in place to safeguard the county’s money) among other deficiencies. Mis-spent tax dollars and wasteful government impacts all taxpaying residents, especially facing a $4 million budget deficit.
What is the biggest challenge in the next four years?
All clerks offices were hit hard by the recent cut in state funding. It is going to take imagination and technology to deliver services in these difficult economic times. Now is the time to have a fresh set of eyes to help improve efficiency, reduce costs, save tax dollars and implement electronic filing.
What makes you the most qualified for this office?
I gained much of my 30-plus years of business, financial and accounting experience in the tri-state New York City area. My years of experience as a certified public accountant includes auditing, forensic or investigative accounting, business reorganizations, litigation support and testifying in state and federal court as an expert. This experience is as diverse as auditing $900 million institutions to helping a local mom-and-pop business with their payroll processing. With the possibility of building a jail and the implementation of electronic processing of legal documents in our future, if elected, I will use my experience and knowledge of internal controls and electronic processing to safeguard and protect the county funds.
