SOUTHAVEN, MS (abc24.com) - At first it was $170,000. Now there's talk that number has dropped to $117,000.
There have been several numbers brought up over the last month during the Mississippi state auditor's investigation of Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.
So which one is right? $170,000 is the amount the state auditor first announced as the total Davis owes the state, but there are several other numbers included in that total.
"It is a lot of numbers," says Bonnie Curle.
And hearing all of those numbers can be confusing for Southaven residents like Curle.
"It gets so complicated," she says. "As most everything does, but hopefully it will get straightened out."
At the beginning of November, the state auditor announced Mayor Davis owed the city $170,782.28.
"He threw out a blanket net charge for every expense that's been charged for travel, training and entertainment," says Davis.
That number covers city spending from July 2009 to April 2011. It includes $16,822.14 in interest, as well as over $13,571.18 in state investigative fees.
Here's another number: $153,588.78. That's how many tax payer dollars are in question.
All together, those three amounts total over $183,000, but the mayor has reimbursed the city for more than $13,000, resulting in the $170,000 sum.
The auditor says Davis must provide receipts for the $153,588.78, proving it was spent on city business or pay up.
"We won't pay any of that until he takes these receipts into account and see if he changes the dollar amount," Davis tells abc24.com. "Once that's done then we'll pay back whatever needs to be paid back."
Davis is hopeful $170,000 won't be the amount he pays. The mayor has accounted for receipts from the last six months, coming up with one more number.
"It's roughly $53,000," he says. "We submitted them to the state auditor's office the Friday before Thanksgiving. I believe they're reviewing them and we're waiting to hear back from his office on that."
That's the main number Davis, and citizens like Curle, are still waiting for.
"Hopefully it will all get straightened out," she says. "I think all in all he's done a good job for Southaven, but he's just made some bad choices."
After taking into account the $53,000 in receipts he's submitted, $117,000 is the new number Mayor Davis is using, hoping he won't have to pay more than that.
Friday, December 2nd, is the final deadline Davis has to submit his documentation.
