Pat Anderson switched from pursuing the state’s top elected office to what she considers the second most important elected post: state auditor.

“The auditor’s going to play a huge role in the next four years because of the budget problems,” she said.

Anderson, a former republican candidate for governor, stopped in Austin Tuesday as part of a media tour promoting her campaign for auditor. She said the auditor position is more important now than it was when she first served as auditor from 2003 to 2007, when she was defeated by Rebecca Otto.

Anderson is calling for a top to bottom redesign of state government, and she said the auditor would play a key role in that process.

“We need strength everywhere because we have a huge job ahead of us,” she said.

While the legislature passed a final budget Monday, Anderson noted a roughly $6 billion budget awaits next year.

“We’re at a crisis stage fiscally, and we need to almost start over,” she said.

A key step in fixing the budget will be determining what the key functions of government are. Anderson, a former county commissioner and mayor, said the state needs to adjust Local Government Aid, and state leaders need to look into removing mandates to help counties run more efficiently. Counties and school districts are mandated to provide many services, and Anderson said it will important in giving local governments a voice.

“If we are really looking for ways to create more efficiencies, we need to give people the authority to do it,” she said.

Anderson is running with the campaign slogan of “Taxpayers’ Watchdog.” With local government entites vying for state funding, she said it will be important for the state auditor to protect local funding and avoid fraud and theft.