ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

CLAYTON — The state’s chief election official is investigating ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County Executive Sam Page’s use of taxpayer dollars for a campaign about a ballot proposal.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskin’s office is “obligated to investigate complaints,� said spokesperson Rachael Dunn. She declined to comment further.

The investigation comes after Tom Sullivan, a frequent county critic, filed a complaint with the Missouri Secretary of State last week accusing Page of violating election laws by using public money to sway voter opinion on Proposition B. The proposition, which appears on Tuesday’s ballot, would give the County Council the power to fire department heads.

The secretary has already reached out to Page’s office, Page spokesman Doug Moore said Monday night. The office will forward “all of the information that we have� about the ballot language and the county’s “education campaign,� Moore said.

It’s legal for public officials to spend money on educational campaigns, but not political ones.

Page is a Democrat, and Hoskins is a Republican. Moore said Page’s office hopes the Secretary of State’s review “is not partisan.�

Sullivan is a University City resident who emails regular newsletters to the press and others with his opinions about county business. In recent newsletters, he has complained about the county’s use of nearly $36,000 to print and mail postcards to voters about Prop B. He submitted complaints a week ago to the state’s elections authorities.

On Monday evening, Sullivan emailed a screenshot of a letter he received from an attorney for the Secretary of State saying, “our office has decided to further look into this matter.�

The secretary has the power to investigate alleged violations of election law. Using taxpayer money for electioneering is considered a , which is punishable by up to a year imprisonment, up to a $2,500 fine or both.

If the secretary finds probable cause, the case would be referred to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County prosecuting attorney’s office.