Arkansas lawmakers voted Friday to release previously withheld funds to 40 cities and towns and give them until Dec. 31 to submit overdue water and sewer audits.
The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee debated whether to grant extra time for 2022 audit reports, originally due July 1, 2024. Municipalities must either submit the reports or provide engagement letters from accountants confirming submission by the new deadline, or risk future withholding of funds.
The 40 municipalities had been denied turnback funds, which support local services and road maintenance, totaling $477,797.71 for two months. Three other municipalitiesDelight, Horseshoe Lake, and Pollardalready had funds restored after submitting audits for 20222024…