Horn Lake mayor mindful of spending

Horn Lake Mayor Allen Latimer wanted to make it clear: Keep your receipts.

That was the word to aldermen and other city officials headed off to the Mississippi Municipal League summer conference in Gulfport July 14-18. Latimer, recently sworn in as mayor, and six of the city’s seven aldermen will attend the conference, along with some other city officials.

And though bringing back receipts isn’t a requirement, the new mayor doesn’t want there to be any question about how public money is being used, so he told board members at the first Board of Aldermen meeting over which he presided Tuesday to be sure to keep receipts.

“The remarks were really more for the citizens,” Latimer said, referring to the packed auditorium on onlookers since it was the new administration’s first meeting and many spectators were present for the swearing-in ceremony.

Taking advantage of the large audience, Latimer said he just wanted to make sure residents knew the city would be keeping close watch over the use of public funds.

Such issues have been a sensitive topic for DeSoto County’s cities because of news generated over the past couple of years in Southaven, where former Mayor Greg Davis got into legal trouble with state Auditor Stacey Pickering over public funds that the auditor said were misspent.

To avoid any hint of such problems, Latimer said he thought it was a good idea to point out to the public that city officials are keeping a close eye on such matters.

“I know as a supervisor, we always had to have receipts,” said Latimer, a former DeSoto County supervisor, “and we just want to avoid any sign of impropriety.”