May 27, 2025
State | Northwest Herald
State

Illinois’ longtime auditor general to retire

By SOPHIA TAREEN

FILE - In this May 28, 2014, file photo, Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland speaks to lawmakers at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Holland, the state officer who examines the use of public money in Illinois, is retiring after more than two decades on the job. Holland scheduled a news conference in Springfield, Wednesday, June 17, 2015, to make the announcement. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File) (Seth Perlman)

SPRINGFIELD – Auditor General William Holland, whose career of scrutinizing the flow of public money in Illinois has touched the administrations of five governors, announced Wednesday that he’s retiring after more than two decades on the job.

Holland, first appointed in 1992, made the news public in letters to legislative leaders and a rare Capitol news conference where he said he’s considered the move for some time. His retirement is effective Dec. 31, which he said allows time to find a replacement.

The auditor general, who serves a 10-year term, has played a powerful role in shedding light on mismanagement and misspending in Illinois government. A 2005 audit of now-imprisoned ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s central management agency revealed pervasive problems with accounting and contracting rules. A review of an anti-violence program spearheaded by former Gov. Pat Quinn became a major stumbling block in the Democrat’s failed re-election bid last year.

“It’s a full-time job,” Holland said.

The 63-year-old, with a reputation for being straightforward, and at times, blunt, has overseen “thousands” of audits. He was reappointed in 2002 and again in 2012, but won’t finish the term. Holland said he wants to spend more time with his three children and six grandchildren. He said he won’t run for public office.

By law, Holland’s office is required to audit state agencies, report findings and make recommendations to ensure laws are followed. His office also takes up requests for reviews. He noted the impact his work has, but said he’s had a good run interacting with administrations from former Gov. Jim Edgar to current Gov. Bruce Rauner.

“There are tremendous demands upon the people who work day to day in Illinois state government,” Holland said. “It’s never easy when the auditor general comes in and can pick and poke at those weaknesses because it’s only the weaknesses that get cited in my audits.”

The auditor’s office is nonpartisan, but Holland was a onetime chief of staff to the office of the Illinois Senate president, Democrat Philip Rock, from 1983 to 1992. He said the most difficult part of being auditor general was convincing people in the first year that he’d treat all public officials equally.

He called his office “one of the last bastions of fairness.”

Word of his upcoming retirement brought praise from both sides of the aisle who noted his integrity and professionalism.

The process to replace Holland likely will mimic how auditors are usually chosen. The Legislative Audit Commission, made up of lawmakers, will seek applicants and then whittle down the list to give to the General Assembly, who’ll vote, according to the commission’s executive director Jane Stricklin.