State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued the following press release:
State Funded Programs Added to Auditor’s Purview
House Bill 1318 passes both Chambers without a dissenting vote
JACKSON-
Landmark legislation allowing the State Auditor’s Office to conduct
compliance and performance audits on state-funded economic development
bond programs has unanimously passed both the House of Representatives
and Senate. It is now on its way to Governor Phil Bryant, who has
supported the need for such legislation since his service as State
Auditor.
House
Bill 1318 allows the Auditor to audit programs administered by the
Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) that heretofore have had little
or no independent, third party, oversight even though they all utilize
taxpayer money. One such previously unaudited program helped fund the
failed Beef Processors Plant in Yalobusha County.
“I am grateful to Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, House Speaker Philip Gunn,
members of the legislature and our other state leaders for their support
of this important measure,” State Auditor Stacey Pickering said. “I
particularly thank MDA for their cooperation in crafting this measure.
“This
is good-government legislation which will allow my office to work with
MDA to conduct necessary audits of projects beyond the Mississippi Major
Economic Impact Act, hence further protecting Mississippi taxpayers.”
Since
2009, several hundred million dollars in incentives have been awarded
by MDA that the State Auditor has not had the authority to audit.
Pickering
especially praised Representative Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn, for
authoring House Bill 1318 and Senator David Blount, D-Jackson, who
helped maneuver the bill through the Senate.
“Jerry
and David have both been steadfast in their support of transparency in
government. They share my belief that no public funds are too sacred to
be off limits for the Auditor’s Office to monitor the way they are
spent. On behalf of all Mississippi taxpayers we thank them both for
all their efforts,” Pickering said.
Specifics of the legislation:
· Adds higher risk programs to audits
· Maintains OSA’s high standards of auditing without endangering private sector proprietary and confidential data
Kingfish note: Good place to start: Kior. Postponed their earnings call and report that were supposed to take place yesterday until next week when the company will also release its annual report.
8 comments:
Curious to see if "can investigate" will translate to "will investigate"
Better place to start - existing authority. Go down the street from Auditor's office to Hinds County Courthouse; audit past few years under Robert Graham's 'leadership'; pay particular interest in Airwaves' contracts.
Glad for auditor's success in getting this legislation passed, but disappointed in his failure to look into contracting practices in the courthouse.
Nailed it, 8:51. Stacey is one of the worst auditors in recent memory. Lazy doesn't begin to cover it.
That so called ordained Baptist preacher clown could not audit the Kangaroo store/station on High Street. What a joke his office is, he will be overwhelmingly re-elected next year, what happens when all the voters live in the land of the blind.
Is this not a joke? The man and/or his office did not audit state agencies, like the DMR, for 10 years and so they are going to give him more over site. And when he found that the Ms. Marine Resource Foundation had misused over a million dollars he settled for two 30 year old boats that were donated to the Foundation, sold them and forgave over $900,000. from his dear friends who did not spend one penny out of pocket to settle the matter. Yet he will run for the camera every time he finds a school clerk stealing a few thousand dollars and do his best to have that person sent to prison. The man just needs to go back to being a huckster, I mean consultant and allow a real auditor an opportunity to do the job right.This article is a joke,right?
Like Stacey Pickering,this is a joke,right? He has a whole list of agencies he has not audited since he took office. Why would anybody think he needs more to oversee?
No way in Hades that Pickering investigates any of the projects on the long list of Haley Barbour failures. No way. The way Barbour handed out money to boondoggles the only way to differentiate him from President Epic Fail is by his shade.
Seems as I recall the circuit clerk is responsible for records organization (book-keeping) for the board of supervisors. Where is he in the complaint section?
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