Moss Point utility fiasco update

The City of Moss Point revamps the utilities department as state auditors continue to investigate a $3.4 million deficit.
The city conducted its own investigation and discovered hundreds of residents found ways to bypass the city’s metering system that monitors water usage at each household. Since the city was unaware of the illegal hookups, residents never received a bill which led to the large deficit in the department.
Mayor Billy Broomfield says the department is now in the process of installing safeguards to make sure this never happens again and that residents who owe money pay up. The city recently hired a new auditing firm and has already seen a 25 percent increase in revenues. “We’re confident that the kind of things that have caused us these issues will no longer happen because there are software and programs in place that when things out of the norm occur those who have a need to know will know immediately,” said Mayor Broomfield.
The investigation started when the city caught word of two city employees allowing customers to make small cash payments on outstanding bills in order to keep their service.