Emmet schedules special meeting after auditors flag missing receipt; town says deputy auditor accepted letter

The Emmet City Council voted to call a special meeting to address a missing invoice identified by the Arkansas legislative auditing committee and to ensure the town's state funding would not be delayed. Council members said the item in question was a small set of commemorative plaques, including one presented to "Miss Marjorie," and that a receipt for those items could not be found during the 2024 audit.

Council members reported they convened an executive meeting on short notice, prepared a letter documenting the purchase and its purpose, and sent it to the deputy auditor. The council’s account of events said the expenditure was legitimate and that they had physical plaques to show the work had been done. The deputy auditor, identified in the meeting as Joseph Barton, told the town that he appreciated the prompt response and that the letter should be sufficient while the committee reviews the file.

The council framed the issue as an administrative mistake discovered in a review of thousands of transactions. Members said they took the matter seriously because the auditing committee had warned the town its state funding could be held up if the audit was not concluded. Council members moved and seconded a motion to accept the explanations and to schedule the special called meeting for May 11 to finalize any outstanding process.

The council also discussed related bookkeeping items, including bank signatories; a motion to retain the existing list of authorized signers was made and approved.

The council did not record a roll‑call tally in the minutes included in the transcript; motions were described as made, seconded and approved by voice vote.