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Platte County chair says auditor ‘forfeited his independence,’ commissioners spar over budget
Summary
At the Feb. 2 meeting, the commission chair criticized the county auditor’s recent press release and budget work, alleging loss of independence and numerous errors; other commissioners defended the budget process and noted missing historical data in the county’s new system.
The Platte County Commission heard strong criticism of the county auditor’s recent press release and budget handling at its Feb. 2 meeting, with the chair accusing the auditor of abandoning independence and repeatedly questioning the auditor’s analysis of the county budget.
“The auditor has forfeited his independence and has effectively become a mouthpiece for the sheriff's office and the prosecutor's office,” the chair said, criticizing what the chair described as repeated errors in budget figures and a lack of contextual projections. The chair asserted there were “at least 9 mistakes that I can count, totaling over $500,000,” and said the auditor’s presentation lacked trend analysis and perspective on long-term impacts.
Another commissioner pushed back on the characterization, saying they had read the auditor’s press release and reviewed the budget. That commissioner noted the law enforcement budgets “have increased by an average of 10% each year from 2022 to 2026” and added, “No one with a rational mind could look at that and say we are defunding law enforcement.”
A separate commissioner said they had attempted to meet with elected officials to discuss the budget and that while a meeting with the auditor was constructive, the county’s new financial system had not migrated historical data, making it harder to analyze trends. That commissioner offered to continue outreach to help resolve remaining questions.
No formal action was taken at the meeting regarding the auditor. Commissioners heard the exchanges during the comment period at the close of the agenda and then moved to adjourn; the meeting ended at 10:25 a.m.
