Agency halts funds to Mississippi city until audit completed

Published 12:34 pm Friday, July 13, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Department of Transportation has stopped funding for a city’s infrastructure projects until the city completes an overdue audit.

The agency gave Jackson until June 30 to complete an audit for about $750,000 in federal funds received in the 2016-2017 fiscal year. But the audit remains undone.

The agency says projects under construction or being designed will resume. But it says Jackson won’t be reimbursed through it if extra funds are needed. Additional projects won’t be considered.

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Michelle Thomas was hired to consult on the upcoming budget. Thomas says “more due diligence” has delayed the audit, which may be done next week. The audit was expected to be completed in May, on the same day the then-director of finance and administration resigned.