Gov. Gretchen Whitmer carved out a clear position on government transparency by proposing to slash the budget for the one office in Lansing that holds lawmakers to account.

The governor’s spending plan would cut funding for the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) by $8.3 million, or 28% of its budget. It’s a smack in the face to calls for greater government accountability in a state where transparency is notoriously weak. The OAG is the last line of defense. It should be fully funded.

The cuts to the OAG Whitmer wants are a fraction of the proposed $80.7 billion budget for 2025.

The OAG performs myriad constitutionally authorized functions, including auditing state agency finances and performance. Critically, it conducts a $3.2 million annual statewide single audit that renders Michigan eligible for federal aid.

Whitmer’s proposal puts that funding at risk.

Over the past several years, audits by the OAG have exposed systemic problems in government agencies and instances where the law has been broken. It is a vital part of a healthy functioning democracy. Without it, serious government incompetence would never see the light of day. For example, the OAG unearthed more than $10 billion in fraud and improper payments by the Unemployment Insurance Agency during the pandemic.

It has also identified other critical issues within state government and how it interacts with the public, including unreported deaths in long-term care facilities during the pandemic lockdowns issued by Whitmer, and lax enforcement by the Department of Education on fingerprinting and criminal background checks.

These are important issues taxpayers should know about.

This time, they occurred on Whitmer’s watch. But the OAG’s jobs is to hold government bodies to account regardless of party.

The governor’s response risks appearing politically vindictive. Her plan proposes to pause funding on 23 interdepartmental grants and 13 special revenue allocations that total $9.3 million.

Whitmer proposed an increase for the OAG by $1 million in the general fund, which creates a net loss of $8.3 million.

OAG director Doug Ringler sent a letter to House and Senate leaders arguing Whitmer’s plan will cripple the agency’s ability to fulfill its requirements.

He noted Whitmer did not provide a justification for calling for the cuts.

“We received no advance notice of the executive budget reductions and no direct feedback regarding the reason behind them,” Ringler wrote.

Michigan taxpayers deserve to know that their government is working for, not against, them. The OAG helps provide that information.