Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gus Wingfield To Seek Reelection

Gus Wingfield, Auditor of State, has announced that he will be a candidate for reelection to a second term.

Wingfield, a Democrat, began his service as Auditor of State in January 1995 after winning his first statewide campaign.

Speaking to a group in Delight, Wingfield said he has kept his campaign promise of saving taxpayers dollars.

"When I was elected my goal was to make the Auditor's office more efficient," Wingfield said. "I have reduced the size of the former staff while increasing our efficiency in providing services."

As an example of the changes he has made, he announced that his office operation created a savings of $1.2 million in fiscal year 1997. Wingfield said he has upgraded equipment in the Data Processing Division which now produces over three million state checks annually.

Wingfield added that he is pleased that during his first term in office he has returned over $4 million lost or abandoned cash to approximately 10,000 Arkansas citizens. "This is truly a record," Wingfield said, "but I want the opportunity to beat that record and there are still amendments needed to the Unclaimed Property Act, which will improve the collection and return of money to our citizens."

One of the changes to the Unclaimed Property Act which Wingfield accomplished in his first term as Auditor is that each county in the state now shares equally in the distribution of money received from mineral proceeds.

"I am asking for your vote and support as I launch my campaign for a second term as Auditor of State," Wingfield said as he concluded.