State Auditors Office asked to investigate EMCC’s finances

SCOOBA, Miss. (WCBI) – An in-depth look into EMCC’s financial woes could be lurking within the community college. The board of trustees met Monday night on the Scooba campus.

Dr. Scott Alsobrooks announced to the broad of trustees there’s a chance the State Auditors Office could investigate the college’s books.

WCBI has reported on the recent financial struggles. In 2010, the school’s general fund was at $11 million. In 2018, that amount dropped to $710,000.

Trustees have approved a 2020 budget. Alsobrooks told us the school isn’t in any major financial trouble.

During Monday’s Lowndes County Board of Supervisors meeting, Alsobrooks said a supervisor moved that they ask the State Auditors Office to look into the finances.

Board members have also looked for other solutions to the budget issues.

Both Alsobrooks and Trustee Lance Walters said if the State Auditor’s Office comes in, this will clear up recent rumors.

“I can understand why some people might suspect, based on words that’s going around, that maybe there are some problems. It’s there right as somebody that funds this college to request for an audit,” said Dr. Alsobrooks.

“We have a lot of grants that we file for. I’m sure there are a lot of them that are wondering with our budget situation if they should donate the money or how it’s going to be used, so I think if we have the state auditor come in and look at what we’re doing and give us a blessing that everything’s there, it’s just an issue that we’ve got with our spending as far as with enrollment being down and some departments going over budget. I think it’ll be a good thing in the end,” said Lowndes County Trustee Lance Walters.

State law requires an independent audit to take place which is already scheduled for next month.

Also during Monday night’s meeting, the board discussed an ongoing litigation and approved for the EMCC president to sign off on paperwork for the attorney.

They also went into executive session to discuss a personnel matter but no action was taken.