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Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and City Auditor Umesh Dalal ended an icy standoff over a contested audit with the municipal equivalent of a warm hug Tuesday: a joint appearance and a news release with kind words shared all around.

At issue was Finance Director John Wack’s decision not to allow the auditor’s office access to taxpayer data as part of a review of the city’s tax collection efforts — his prerogative under state law.

After the issue went public in March, the situation devolved, with Dalal questioning Stoney’s commitment to transparency and Wack leveling an accusation that Dalal’s office had misused taxpayer data.

On Tuesday, that was all behind them. Stoney and Dalal announced that they had finalized an arrangement they agreed to work toward in March: Wack would provide the data, and the audit — which aims to dissect why the city is owed $54.5 million in delinquent taxes — would proceed.

“When I met the mayor for the first time, he talked about transparency and accountability,” Dalal told members of the city’s Audit Committee, which met Tuesday with Stoney stopping in for a few minutes. “He has showed that he is committed to accountability and transparency.”

Turning to Stoney, Dalal said, “I’m really thankful for your help.”