City Council to have a forensic audit done of Columbus’ finances

They interviewed representatives from a firm that is being considered to conduct a forensic audit of Columbus' books.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It was a key theme in Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin’s campaign, getting a full understanding of the city’s finances.

City leaders take one step closer to that today.

They interviewed representatives from a firm that is being considered to conduct a forensic audit of Columbus’ books.

Gaskin’s goal is to have 2 firms make their pitches to the full city council at its October 5th meeting.

Council members would still have to approve going through with the audit, which would probably go back 7 years.

The Mayor is hoping this will bring the city’s financial picture into focus.

“We don’t want to go down any rabbit holes of things. We are not trying to point a finger or accuse anybody of anything. We are just trying to get a clear understanding of the finances of the city, and what we can put into place in the future to make sure we don’t have these questions and concerns we have been having for many years,” said Mayor Keith Gaskin.

The Council could vote on the audit as early as the October 19th meeting.

The price tag could run anywhere from 25,000 to over 100,000 dollars.