Fallin Taps Tulsa Auditor As Budget Director

NewsOn6.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Republican Gov. Mary Fallin has appointed a former health care consultant and current Tulsa city auditor to serve as her budget director.

Fallin on Wednesday named Preston Doerflinger to be director of the Office of State Finance and her secretary of finance. He will earn $108,000 per year in his new post and replaces former OSF Director Michael Clingman, who took a position with the workers' compensation court.

"Preston Doerflinger is a successful businessman and, as city auditor of Tulsa, he's dedicated himself to ensuring our tax dollars are used wisely," Fallin said. "I know he'll be a great addition to our team and I'm happy to have him serve in my cabinet."

Doerflinger was elected city auditor of Tulsa in 2009. He previously founded several health care consulting companies and was chief executive officer of PLD Management, a business consulting firm.

"I know Governor Fallin is committed to making state government run more efficiently and effectively in order to save taxpayers money and to improve the services delivered to our citizens," Doerflinger said. "I'm honored to serve in her cabinet and look forward to working with her on the budget and other fiscal issues."

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett said he believes it will be good for Tulsa to have someone like Doerflinger in the Governor's cabinet, though he hates to lose him at City Hall.

Mayor Bartlett said he would appoint a committee to find a new city auditor, and wanted to make sure that whomever he appoints will "embrace the KPMG audit" and be committed to following through on the process.

The audit of Tulsa's city government, performed by the auditing firm KPMG last fall, resulted in 1,100 recommendations for change. 

While Bartlett said Doerflinger was "very very important" in Management Review Office, which is overseeing the audit, Bartlett said a capable team had been assembled and would continue the work.

Fallin is required to present her budget recommendations to lawmakers when the session begins Feb. 7.

The Associated Press contributed to this report