NATCHEZ — The group handling the City of Natchez’s fiscal year 2016 audit presented a draft of the audit Friday.

The draft — done by Gillon Group, PLLC — showed mixed findings, noting both the city clerk’s office’s accounting shortcomings from years prior while also lauding the efforts of current City Clerk Megan Edmonds.

The presentation included findings of inadequacies and inaccuracies in reporting transactions and a failure to properly reconcile bank statements. The draft also showed that the city did not sign and provide a municipal questionnaire — which the Gillon Group reportedly requested multiple times — and did not take inventory for the end of fiscal year 2016.

Scott Christian and Judy Davis of the Gillon Group presented the findings on behalf of CPA Deanne Tanksley, who is out of the country.

The draft attributed many of the errors to the office’s instability, with multiple changes in city clerk in a short span of time. One clerk, the report said, exerted “a tremendous amount of effort to untangle several years of inappropriately accounted for transfers and interfund activities.” Additionally, the audit found that the subsequent clerk lacked adequate knowledge of government accounting practices, something the group noted has been alleviated with Edmonds as clerk.

“Significant turnover in the City Clerk’s office since fiscal year 2013 has contributed to the errors and the delay in developing a solid system of internal controls that will allow for a greater, and timelier, review of transactions,” the draft states. “The current City Clerk is working on putting the appropriate systems in place.”

Davis said the firm would address any questions after the aldermen have had time to review the 107-page document. Christian concluded the presentation by saying the firm expects improvement in the city clerk’s office in the future.

“One thing about Deanne is that (she is) very excited that Megan (Edmonds) is here now because she feels like it’s somebody that understands what needs to be done,” Christian said. “Going forward, we expect much better things.”

Following the meeting, Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said he would need time to review the findings to make an informed comment on the draft, but Dillard also said he believed the auditor was partly to blame for the woes in completing the audit on time.

“Some of the problems that we’re having now is with the auditor to get them to respond in a timely manner,” Dillard said.

Based on a preliminary judgment of the findings, however, Dillard said the results are better than they have been in recent years.

The audit, once finally approved, will be completed far past the due date, as has been the trend for the past several years. The audit was originally due in the beginning of July 2017.

Back in June, Edmonds estimated the audit would be completed by the end of October 2017.