Columbus councilmen heard a report on the “dire” state of city finances behind closed doors Tuesday night, claiming the issue was an “investigative” matter.
Mike Crowder, a former Columbus resident and certified public accountant who is working for the city as a contracted consultant while it looks for a new chief financial officer, met with councilmen in executive session for nearly two hours in the Municipal Complex. Multiple city sources confirmed that, during the closed-door session, Crowder presented councilmen his findings about the true — and not particularly encouraging — state of city finances.
During the executive session, issues related to former CFO Milton Rawle’s job performance arose, those sources said, though Rawle was not present for Tuesday’s meeting.
The council took no action related to Crowder’s report.
Rawle, who the city hired as CFO in 2013, abruptly resigned Feb. 19, culminating four months of very public criticism that he hadn’t provided councilmen with an adequate picture of the city’s financial situation.
He reported in November — nearly two months after the fiscal year had ended — that the city operated in Fiscal Year 2018 at a near-$881,000 deficit. The council suspended Rawle for 16 working days, which he served in January, and the city brought in Crowder to do payroll, pay bills and evaluate the city’s books. Rawle resigned about a week after returning to work from his suspension.
The council had scheduled a special-call meeting for Feb. 26 to discuss a personnel matter but canceled it in the wake of a tornado that hit Columbus three days prior. City sources confirmed off the record to The Dispatch the special session was called to hear Crowder’s presentation.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage confirmed before Tuesday’s regular meeting there was a matter he originally planned to slate for executive session as “personnel,” but after he consulted with the Mississippi Ethics Commission, he changed the closed session reasoning to investigative.
By law (Mississippi Code Ann. 25-41-7), that reasoning for executive session applies to “proceedings by any public body regarding allegations of misconduct or violation of law.”
Turnage did not specify which matter the council discussed as investigative, but there was only one such issue on Tuesday’s agenda.
Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box, when opposing a proposed expenditure on the policy agenda, indicated in Tuesday’s open session that the council intended to meet with Crowder later that night.
Box, along with Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin, voted against moving forward with a contract for a project assessment related to installing LED street lights citywide.
“The city’s financial situation is, as I understand it, pretty dire,” Box said. “So I think we need to table this until we can get a clear picture of what’s going on.”
Regardless, the measure passed 4-2.
The city will pay PATH Company, based in Memphis, Tennessee, up to $100,000 for a feasibility study on installing the LED lights — which are meant to save energy costs long-term. PATH co-founder Russ Phillips told the council Tuesday the city would pay that fee regardless of whether it ultimately went ahead with installation.
Gavin told The Dispatch he believes the project assessment is a “good thing,” but the timing is poor, especially given the costs the city will incur from a Feb. 23 tornado that destroyed or damaged 275 homes, 38 businesses and various other structures — including city-owned buildings at Sim Scott Park and Columbus Municipal School District’s Success Academy at the old Hunt High School.
“It’s a good project. It’s just not the right time,” he said. “But the council voted for it, so we will make it happen.”
In other business, councilmen voted unanimously to award a $450,000 contract to GoBox, a waste removal and recycling company in Columbus, for chipping, mulching and hauling of trees and tree branches felled by the Feb. 23 storm. GoBox will start work later this week.
Councilmen also authorized Jabari Edwards, owner of J5, the city’s project management firm, to begin soliciting proposals for debris removal and monitoring. Those proposals are due by Friday.
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