SOUTHAVEN, MS (abc24.com)-- They're getting out the fine tooth comb, going over how every single dollar is spent in Southaven.
Faced with increasing complaints about the mayor's spending and controversy over his pay, the board of alderman formed a new committee to look solely at where the city's money is going.
"As our elected aldermen, what plans do you have in place to stop the abuse and waste from the mayor's office?" asked resident Tony Garner.
"We know there are still areas to look at and there's still things to look into," says Southaven Alderman Ronnie Hale.
One of the committee's first objectives? A brand new audit into city spending.
"We already know that with the past audit there were some things that were questionable," Hale says. "There were issues raised by the audit firm, so we want to double check that."
By looking into every single city department. One at a time.
Aldermen are also questioning the city's lawyer about two yearly stipends Mayor Davis is paid. One is $2,700. That payment is given to Davis because he's held office such a long time. The other is $5,000, being paid to Davis because he has a college degree.
"He's the only one who gets it other than other city employees, but the mayor's not an employee. In our opinion, we're not really sure he even qualifies for it," Hale says.
For voters, looking into these kinds of payments is something Southaven's needed.
"We hope it does restore some of the confidence and let people know we're staying on top of things," Hale says. "We are looking at everything. No stone's going to go unturned right now."
Alderman say the audit is in the beginning stages. They're figuring out how much it will cost. A best guess, somewhere around $5,000. But it all depends on how long it takes.
