Beaufort County auditor candidate profile: George Wright

George Wright

Age: 61

Political party: Republican

Office: Beaufort County auditor

Number of years living in the district you seek to represent: 39 years

Family: Wife, Patti; daughter, Cari Gallant; son, Jeffery

Education: Two years of training in the military on aircraft avionics and two years college instruction in math and science

Current occupation/employer: Programmer at Beaufort County information systems department

Employment, military and volunteer history: Gunnery sergeant for 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps; traffic manager for nine years for Vanguard Industries; procurement specialist for Beaufort County

Public offices held: None

Unsuccessful bids for public office: None

Other prior political and government experience: None

Key endorsements you've received: Beaufort County Treasurer Doug Henderson

Campaign contributions: $200

Campaign expenditures: $3,257.16

Biggest contributor: George Wright, $200

Why should people vote for you?

I have worked with the county's Auditor's, Assessor's and Treasurer's offices for the past 10 years as IT support for their tax software, and I understand the importance of the functionality of each of the three offices to ensure that the property taxes are correct. As a programmer, I know the county's tax system inside and out. As a leader, I will ensure that property accounts get cleaned up.

What are the three most important issues you would address if elected?

I will hire a CPA.

There are personal property accounts in the tax system that need to be inactivated and the values removed. The personal property accounts in question no longer exist or have moved out of the county.

I will work with the state to get state tax laws and state reporting up to date to conform to today's technology and eliminate any ambiguity of the laws.

What other issues do you see as important?

• Using technology to eliminate taxpayers' visits to the county offices by increasing transparency.

What specific steps will you take to make government more open and accessible to the public?

Making myself available to the public by having scheduled hours of operation not only at the Beaufort office, but also at the satellite offices in Bluffton and Hilton Head

I will publish online statistical information about all the different types of personal property to include number of accounts, values, and tax dollars generated by each of the property types within each district of the county.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony, been disciplined by a professional licensing board or organization or had an ethics violation filed against you?

No

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your federal, state or local taxes? If so, please give the details.

No

Are there any personal details about yourself that voters would be interested in knowing?

I am an avid golfer and gardener -- although I'm a better gardener than a golfer.

This story was originally published June 4, 2014 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Beaufort County auditor candidate profile: George Wright."