A city alderman said he would like to see a secondary forensic audit performed within the city of Yazoo City’s financial records.
“I am asking that we go out and find somebody to give us a forensic audit to check everything that we have got,” said Alderman Charlie Jenkins. “I know we have particulars who do our audits, but let’s go out and find a special group to do a second audit for us that would be for everything we have.”
Jenkins said he is not entirely pleased with the audits that have been presented to the city council in the past, adding that he has several questions.
“This is something that we probably should have done when we first came in,” he said. “But I don’t think that it is too late.”
Lilli Evans-Bass, board attorney, said a Request for Proposals is not necessary.
“It is a professional service, so you don’t have to have an RFP,” she said. “You could call the various CPA firms that you think can handle it and get them to provide a cost proposal.”
Alderman Elizabeth Thomas has also been very vocal in the past about the city’s finances, particularly concerning the bank reconciliation statements. During the recent board meeting, she continued with her concerns, stating that many items within the budget were in the “negative.”
“You are saying that you are on target each month,” Thomas said. “I can budget my household for $100 this month, and I could some out with $99 and be under. But at the end of the 12 months, I could be off completely.”
But City Clerk Kaneilia Williams said the city “is in line with the budget.”
“Are we on target with our budget,” Thomas asked.
“Yes, we are in line,” answered Williams.
Evans-Bass added that individual line items within the budget can be off, but it is the “category” items that require budget amendments.
“They are not supposed to go over the category, but they can go over an individual line item,” she said. “You have several people who are not over so their money could be moved to cover any shortfalls.”
Williams added that every city department is “under budget.”
