City of Augusta Mayor Jeff Collins sits back in his chair as he and Auditor David Chapel answer questions from members of the Legislative Joint Auditing subcommittee on Counties and Municipalities during a committee meeting at the state Capitol on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Collins stormed out of the room during the questioning, which was brought on by accusations by City of Augusta Council Member Perry Galloway over potential financial mismanagement. An earlier version of this photo misidentified the mayor. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)
State auditors found the city of Augusta had given out no-bid contracts, wrote off utility bills for residents upon request from the mayor, and allowed use of a credit card "with a business purpose that could not be determined," according to a report released Wednesday.
