Kathy Hecht ran unopposed for the city auditor position, gaining 3,624 votes. She has held the position for 20 years. The city auditor is responsible for supervising the Income Tax Department, overseeing payroll, accounts payable, and fixed assets, and estimating and reviewing the revenue that each source will generate throughout the year.
Two years before Hecht ran for auditor, she served on the Athens City Council.
"When I realized as a council member that we were struggling with resources and having enough money for additional or unexpected expenses in the general fund," Hecht said. "I wanted to make sure that we could cover our expenses and things that we needed."
Since becoming city auditor, Hecht said her goal has been to maintain clean audits and help the city financially.
"I've worked with those budgets to make sure that we have money to cover unexpected expenses and to be able to meet our loan obligations," Hecht said.
Hecht has won awards and certificates for bettering the city's audits.
"Legally, we're not allowed to spend money we don't have, but then the other part of it is we want to be able to provide the services that we should be providing to our citizens," Hecht said.
