PROSECUTOR, DRUG TAX AUDITOR WILL SPEAK

The Jackson County Legislature will allow the auditor examining the
county's anti-drug tax to be interviewed by county Prosecutor Mike Sanders.

Auditor David Cochran of Cochran, Head and Co. said Sanders had asked to
talk to him about allegations that records were destroyed. Cochran said he
did not know what information Sanders was seeking. But he said he needed
the Legislature, which hired him, to waive a confidentiality agreement with
him before an interview with Sanders.

"I have no problem speaking with the prosecutor, but I can't reveal my
clients' information to anyone without their permission," Cochran said.

Cochran said he expected to be subpoenaed by a county grand jury if
legislators withheld permission.

Last week the grand jury issued several subpoenas to county officials for
documents and testimony about records destruction.

The flap began in late October when county staff members told the auditing
firm that some 1996 anti-drug tax records - which the staff earlier said
existed - had been purged. County Executive Katheryn Shields said a
mislabeled box had mistakenly led a staff member to think the records existed.

Also in October, an anonymous allegation surfaced that additional records
were being moved or destroyed to keep them from the auditors.

Last week, Shields released polygraph reports that she said cleared two
staffers of allegations that they destroyed records. She said the
allegations were made by Sanders.

However, Sanders said he had not identified anyone as suspects of an
inquiry into records destruction.

In other business, legislators on Monday defined the term "residency" for
county employees. Jackson County requires its employees to be residents of
the county. Under the ordinance approved Monday, a residence is "the true
fixed and permanent address of an individual, where when such individual is
absent the individual has the intention of returning to that address and
remaining there as their permanent abode."

The residency issue arose in May when the county's chief administrative
officer, Art Chaudry, was accused of living in Johnson County. KCTV,
Channel 5, said in a news report that Chaudry returned nightly to another
home he owns in Overland Park.

County officials defended Chaudry's residency status, saying he owns a home
in Jackson County, pays property taxes there and is registered to vote
there. On Monday, county spokesman Ken Evans said Chaudry's status was also
valid under the new residency definition.