Prosecutor backs auditor’s call for finance authority

The future of Whitman County’s depleted finance department apparently lies under the authority of Auditor Eunice Coker.

Her move to place the department under her supervision gained support in a legal opinion turned out June 16 by Prosecutor Denis Tracy.

“(County Commissio-ner Greg) Partch was quoted in a newspaper as saying most counties our size do not have a finance department,” said Coker. “But, the simple fact is they all have some form of chief financial officer. They’re just under the auditor.”

“It’s blatantly clear. The finance department should be in a financial office,” she said.

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