For the past six years, the city of McComb has been embroiled in controversy over its finances. A letter from the Mississippi state auditor’s office was delivered to city officials this week informing them that the state agency will be taking over the city’s internal audit process.
“Our office has determined that you are not in compliance with the aforementioned code section, and we have notified the Mississippi Department of Revenue to divert your state funds to our office, as prescribed to provide funding for audit services,” the letter from Leigh Barber reads.
Barber serves as director of the state auditor’s Municipal Client Audit Division and was referring to state code that requires every municipality to conduct an annual audit of its books before the end of the next fiscal year.
“The city received this letter today. You had to know it was coming eventually,” McComb Ward 1 Selectman Tommy McKenzie wrote on social media.
The city of McComb has failed to issue a public audit four times in the previous six fiscal years, per reports. After Mayor Quordiniah Lockley took office in July 2018, audits were completed for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 but not until 2022. No public audits have been made available for fiscal years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Two outside CPA firms recently came in to try to take over the cleanup effort dating back four years, and according to sources, one of the firms issued a report saying four years’ worth of audits is undoable for them, with the city’s unkept books hindering the process.
The city has reportedly spent more than $80,000 on work that has yet to be completed. Booker Camper, a firm still contracted with the city, said it was expecting to have a report for fiscal year 2021 complete by this week and available to the city by mid-June.
It’s unclear who tipped off the state auditor’s office, but after getting wind of the financial fire in McComb, Barber issued the letter that continued: “We will engage auditors to complete the process. Your cooperation is expected.”
The McComb mayor’s office has directed all requests for comment to the city attorney. At the time of publication, the city attorney had not responded. State Auditor Shad White’s office has also not responded to a comment request from SuperTalk Mississippi News.
This development from the state auditor’s office comes at a time of fiscal uncertainty in the city. During a recent board of selectmen meeting, officials tabled a motion to hire a city clerk due to question marks surrounding McComb’s financial future amid the recent letter from the state.
