Augusta County government has been operating without a director in its Finance Department since Sept. 9, and there are two stories circulating as to what is going on there.
One came from an AFP reader who told us that a member of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors had privately characterized the departure of Misty Cook, who had served in the position of finance director for nine years, as a “firing,” said the county administration ordered an “immediate audit” upon her dismissal, and said there was “nothing to indicate theft at this time.”
Then there’s the word from officialdom.
The communications manager for the county government, Mia Kivlighan, told us by email that Cook “resigned from her position on September 9, 2026.”
As to the matter of an audit, Kivlighan shot that one down.
“The county did not order an audit upon her resignation,” Kivlighan told us. “The county’s audit process for FY2026 began back in the spring with preliminary fieldwork, as it does every year. The county will continue to submit financial data to the auditors, PB Mares, through the end of October. At this time, we remain on schedule for the auditor’s final fieldwork the week of October 12. By state code, the auditor must present the audit to the Board of Supervisors by December 31.”
The county is advertising the position on its website, with a post dated Sept. 22 listing a salary range of $104,883-$163,015, and noting that applications are being received through Oct. 15.
Cook’s salary, as of 2025, was $128,485.
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Chris Graham
