A special called meeting was held on Monday afternoon in the council chambers of city hall in Hattiesburg. The highlight of the meeting was the review of the audited financial statements from Topp, McWhorter, Harvey, PLLC. A representative from the firm noted significant progress and improvements for the fiscal year ending in Sept. 2024.
The city received an unmodified opinion, meaning that the auditor concluded that all financial statements from the city are represented fairly and without issues or misstatements. This is the best possible opinion an agency can receive for an audit. This is the tenth audit completed since 2017, when Mayor Toby Barker took office.
“Delivering another on-time audit with no new findings reflects our ongoing commitment to sound financial management and compliance at every level,” said Barker. “It reinforces the trust our residents place in us to manage public funds responsibly…I want to thank TMH for their work and express my appreciation to CAO Ann Jones, City Clerk Kermas Eaton, CFO Malcolm Berch, Comptroller Lisa Hanson and accountant Tyler Flores. Preparing for an audit of this scale requires precision and coordination, and their efforts continue to set the standard for municipal financial accountability.”
Other items of business conducted at this meeting are as follows:
-Approval of an agreement with Moore & Moore Properties, Inc. for the collection and treatment of residential wastewater
-Approval of an agreement between Hattiesburg Police Department and Axon Enterprises, Inc. to provide taser equipment, software and accessories
-Acknowledgement of proposals and acceptance of the bid proposal from Rare Design for brand development and design service
-Approval of a settlement agreement in a civil action with Lighthouse Rescue Mission, Inc. including authorizing the issuance of a check for the settlement and the organization receiving a conditional use permit to operate as a group care facility
