A recent utility audit by the City of Natchez yielded an approximate $14,000 in savings for the city — half of which will pay the consulting company that found the money.

The majority of the found funds apparently came from the City of Natchez being overcharged for taxes and fees it is exempt from paying.

This case is another example of how better management of the city’s funds is needed.

Someone — either in the City Clerk’s Office or the city’s hired independent auditors — should be scrutinizing payables at least quarterly and looking for such mistakes.

We’ve suggested before that Natchez city leaders would be wise to put their collective heads together with Adams County’s leaders and find ways to improve how the city and county manages all aspects of its finances.

Taxpayers effectively pay to staff two offices that in many ways serve the exact same function.

Certainly some savings could be found by merging the city and county’s accounts payable and payroll processing.

We know the word “consolidation” is a dirty word to those elected leaders who fear losing their good government job if such would ever happen, but hopefully common sense will prevail one day soon and taxpayers will demand it.