FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. — Finance staff told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Jan. 9 they plan to ask the council on Tuesday to authorize the city to apply for a new municipal credit‑card program after repeated fraud issues and customer‑service problems led the previous provider to drop the city’s accounts.

Loretta (finance director) said the city experienced multiple fraud incidents on municipal cards and that the prior credit‑card company closed the accounts without timely notice. “The credit card company dropped us without any kind of warning,” Loretta said. She told the board staff are pursuing a banking partner out of Arkansas that offers a municipality/nonprofit application and that the bank requires documentation showing board approval for the application.

Nut graf: Staff recommended a clean replacement of the credit‑card program and requested the board provide a short, recorded authorization at Tuesday’s meeting to satisfy the bank’s application requirement. Finance staff also updated the board on an RFQ for audit services and a proposed Omni purchasing partnership to streamline purchases.

City staff said they have posted an RFQ for auditing services following the retirement of the previous auditor and that responses will be evaluated next month with an emphasis on personnel and peer review credentials rather than price alone. Staff also said the Omni purchasing partnership agreement — a cooperative purchasing tool — will be placed on the Tuesday agenda so the city can opt in and take advantage of pre‑negotiated contracts.

Ending: The mayor and finance director said they will bring a short item for the council to approve Tuesday to allow staff to complete the credit‑card application and proceed with the Omni purchasing arrangement; the RFQ process for auditors will continue and return to the council for selection next month.