By MITCH WORD

NOTE: This is the eighth in a series of stories detailing the duties of the various county offices.

For anyone who has ever dealt with being responsible for finances or filing taxes, there is one word no one usually wants to hear: Audit.

Many, many businesses, individuals and organizations deal with auditors. Terry County is no exception. In fact, they have their own County Auditor’s Office.

However, County Auditor Jan Hudson says she has a great working relationship with county officials.

“All the people I work with here are very courteous to me,” Hudson said. “We have a great working relationship. They want us to go in and see if there’s something that needs to be corrected. We all work together to make sure that the county’s finances are taken care of according to the law.”

By law, the county auditor has continuous access to all books and financial records and conducts detailed reviews of all county financial operations.

Hudson has been the County Auditor for three years but has been in the office for 31 years as an assistant. Her current staff includes First Deputy Reva Lovelace and Second Deputy Trinette Chambers. Hudson was appointed to the position by 121st District Judge Kelly Moore.

The auditor’s job is year-round. “There are some audits that are in-depth, but then there are surprise audits that just check receipts, docket books and the cash on hand,” Hudson said. “We are part of the checks-and-balances system.”

The County Auditor’s Office is located in the Terry County Annex Building at 507 West Main.

The Terry County Auditor's Staff includes County Auditor Jan Hudson (seated) along with First Deputy Reva Lovelace (left) and Second Deputy Trinette Chambers.