An official respected by lawmakers and the public for her honest approach to pinpointing problems in state government will retire at the end of the year.
State Auditor Marion Higa will retire midway through her current eight-year term on Dec. 31, after 21 years.
"It’s been a privilege to serve the Legislature and the people," Higa, 70, said in an interview Thursday.
Deputy Auditor Jan Yamane will serve as acting state auditor until a successor is appointed by the Legislature.
Higa said she decided to retire to help her daughter with her two children, ages 7 and 9, while her son-in-law is in South Sudan to assist with democracy efforts as a contract civilian adviser. An avid traveler, Higa also said she wants to spend more time venturing to the mainland and abroad.
As she observed friends traveling around the world, Higa said she thought to herself, "Maybe I better get going on my bucket list while I still can."
One of her goals is to travel to North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Mississippi — the only states she has yet to visit. Her earlier trips to the mainland were mostly business-related.
"I have four more states to set my feet in," she said.
Higa joined the auditor’s office almost 42 years ago and thought her stay would be no more than two years.
Higa was offered a position to teach Latin and English with the Department of Education at the same time she was offered an assistant analyst position with auditor’s office. She chose the latter and never left.
"I wanted to do more research-based work before going back to the classroom. I guess I overstayed by 40 years," she said, laughing.
With a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Hawaii and a master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Higa was first assigned to work on an audit of the state Department of Education.
"There was no one on staff with an educational background," she said. "I think that’s why I had a chance to work here."
Higa found the work of the auditor’s office compelling.
"It was intellectually stimulating," she said. "The subjects were always different."
The auditor’s position was established by the state Constitution to ensure independence from political pressure from lawmakers and those outside government. The auditor conducts post-audits of transactions, accounts, programs and performances of all departments, offices and agencies of the state and its political subdivisions, according to the Office of the Auditor’s website.
Program and performance audits are conducted to assess the management and effectiveness of government agencies and programs in an effort "to improve operations, facilitate decision-making and increase public accountability."
The auditor also undertakes investigations assigned by the Legislature.
Some of the significant audit investigations Higa conducted include the Hawaii Superferry, Hawaii Tourism Authority and Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She also administered audit investigations that revealed fiscal deficiencies at charter schools and a backlog of bench warrants at the Sheriff Division of the Department of Public Safety.
Lowell Kalapa, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, said Higa was daring enough to directly point out deficiencies in state government.
"Much to her credit, she stood her ground," said Kalapa. "They have some big shoes to fill. Her track record is impeccable."
Along with audit investigations, Higa oversees 26 staff members and manages a budget of almost $9 million, most of which is for financial statement audits.
"Hawaii has been very lucky to have someone as responsible and honest and unbiased as Marion Higa in the role of auditor," said Beppie Shapiro, president of the League of Women Voters-Hawaii. "Because of her quality of work, people have turned to her because of her objectivity in reporting."
