12/18/2018
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today announced her office has begun an audit of the government of Clay County. The audit was initiated after a citizen petition was submitted to the Auditor's Office and then verified to have more than the minimum 5,590 signatures of county residents who are registered voters.
"The citizens who signed this petition have asked my office to conduct an independent review of the operations and practices of Clay County, the fifth-most populous county in Missouri," Auditor Galloway said. "An audit can serve as a tool to help county officials most effectively and efficiently use the taxpayer dollars entrusted to them and make improvements to better serve their constituents."
Under current Missouri law covering first-class counties, the State Auditor's Office must receive a request, for example by citizen petition or resolution passed by the county commission, to audit the county. The last state audit of Clay County, which became a first-class county in 1975, was performed in 1990 after a formal request from the county commission.
Auditor Galloway said citizen input is beneficial to audits, and she encouraged residents with information that might be helpful to contact her office. Individuals who would like to provide information for consideration may contact the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov or by calling 800-347-8597. Concerns may also be submitted anonymously online at auditor.mo.gov/hotline.
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