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Galloway’s office starts Greene County audit

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A year and a half after her office first made a request to audit Greene County, Nicole Galloway is doing just that.

The state auditor yesterday announced her office began the audit process after a whistleblower complaint first drew a request in December 2017. The process was delayed under former Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Cirtin, who eschewed Galloway’s request in favor of a Missouri Ethics Commission investigation into allegations of misuse of public funds.

Scott Holste, a spokesman for Galloway’s office, said the audit team currently is determining its scope after holding an entrance meeting with county officials on Monday.

“Once that process is complete, we will have a better idea of the approximate length and the cost,” Holste said via email.

New Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon led the county to approve the request early this year after defeating Cirtin in the 2018 primaries.

"I appreciate the County Commission, particularly former Commissioner Lincoln Hough and current Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon, for requesting this independent review to ensure taxpayer dollars have been used appropriately," Galloway said in a news release. "Once completed, the audit will explain in detail any issues we find and provide recommendations for officials to address them. The citizens of Greene County can be assured my office will conduct this audit with the highest professional standards, as we always do."

The day before the August 2018 primary election, Cirtin was cleared of wrongdoing in whistleblower allegations brought on by former county spokeswoman Trysta Herzog. Now chief relations officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks, Herzog alleged Cirtin forced county employees to spend work time promoting the Invest in Greene County Political Action Committee for the county’s half-cent general revenue sales tax that was approved in 2017.

Galloway is calling on residents with knowledge of the matter to contact her office to help with the audit, according to the release.

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