EPHRATA - Grant County Chief Accountant and Budget Director Jacob Taylor announced that he is running for county auditor.

Taylor served six years in the state auditor's office and two years as the county's chief accountant. He wants to move into the seat held by auditor Dave Firebaugh, who is not seeking re-election.

Taylor said his experience with Grant County finances make him an ideal candidate.

"As the chief accountant, I have gained a thorough knowledge of the internal and external operations of Grant County. A chief accountant is required to stay up to date on all financial reporting standards. A detailed knowledge of the reporting requirements and standards is paramount for a county auditor to possess, in order to accurately report the county's financial records," he stated.

He wants to reduce the amount of money the county spends on travel to trainings by exploring other options. They include paying for the trainings to come to Grant County and having different agencies split the bill.

He wants to move the county from a "cash-basis method" which smaller counties use to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (also known as GAAP), typically used by counties with larger populations.

Taylor is from the Wenatchee area and graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is married and has two children.

Firebaugh has endorsed Taylor to be the next Grant County auditor.

Taylor said that anyone interested in learning more about his candidacy should visit http://www.jacobtaylor4gcauditor.com.