On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, the State Auditor met with four Diamondhead council members at city hall. The State Auditor’s purpose for this visit was to provide a copy of a recent performance review of the City of Diamondhead to these members.

The mayor and another member had previously received copies of this report. While the Open Meetings Act does not apply to the State Auditor, we are always careful to ensure compliance with the Act when meeting with local officials. An Attorney General’s Opinion to Clanton dated April 4, 2003 addressed a very similar gathering, stating “a meeting called by a state or federal economic development agencies whose sole purpose is to disseminate information of available grants and favorable loans for public projects, is not in violation of the Open Meetings Act.”

It is the understanding of our office that this meeting was for the purpose of providing copies of the report and disseminating information relating to the report. No official action was taken in the Auditor’s presence by the board members. A copy of this report can be viewed at: http://www.osa.ms.gov/documents/performance/2017_Diamondhead.pdf