When SEDD Treasurer Michael Douglas read a flawed finance report provided to him by SEDD President Tony Little, questions were raised about who was handling SEDD’s money.
Confusion and concern surfaced at Tuesday’s Southside Economic Development District (SEDD) board meeting at Monroe City Hall on July 8, 2025, as board members questioned a discrepancy in the district’s reported finances.
A treasurer’s report presented by Bishop Michael Douglas, but prepared by SEDD President Tony Little, stated that the district’s funds stood at $114,333.64, prompting immediate pushback from board members who demanded clarity on the district’s actual cash reserves.
The written report, presented and read by Douglas, raised eyebrows when several board members questioned what had happened to the district’s funds.
Little quickly intervened, asserting that Douglas’ report was incorrect and that the actual balance was higher. However, he failed to provide the correct figure, fueling further skepticism among board members.
The City of Monroe’s finance office later confirmed that SEDD’s actual cash on hand is $330,304.54, a stark contrast to the $114,333.64 reported, highlighting a discrepancy of over $215,000.
The inconsistency prompted concerns about transparency, with some board members accusing Little of using officers as “rubber stamps” by preparing their reports for them to read at meetings and performing their duties.
Douglas, the treasurer, struggled to answer questions about the report’s details.
Board members scrutinized several reported expenditures.
Douglas noted that since May 1, 2025, the start of SEDD’s fiscal year, the district spent $24,116.19 with RK Construction for painting and renovations at the Arizona Street Dream Center. When board member Roosevelt Wright, Jr. raised concerns about the apparent use of Mexican nationals in vehicles with Mississippi license plates as subcontractors, Little dismissed the issue, stating it was not SEDD’s responsibility to monitor subcontractors.
“I know private contractors use these types of laborers, but we are a government agency. Can we do this?” Wright asked, citing photos of the workers. Little offered no further comment.
Additional questions arose over lawn care expenses, with Douglas reporting $1,370 for services on June 2 and June 13. Board members called the costs exorbitant, prompting Little to claim invoices existed to justify the expenses. Douglas had no explanation.
Documents from the City of Monroe’s finance office revealed two requisitions signed by Little, not Douglas.
A June 13 invoice from Harris billed SEDD $175 a week for lawn service and $200 to remove mold debris from renovation work for a total of $725. A second requisition, dated May 30, 2025, authorized $645 to Harris for lawn services, which included three weekly cuts at $175 each, $70 for trimming a poison ivy bush, and $50 for debris removal and poison ivy removal. The requisition noted that the $645 disbursement had been authorized by the SEDD board on April 28, 2025. SEDD had no meeting on April 28th.
Further scrutiny focused on three $500 mini-grant payments reported by Douglas. When asked whether recipients had submitted required receipts and final reports, Little assured the board it would be addressed. Little personally picked up and delivered the checks, not the treasurer.
The discrepancies and lack of transparency have sparked calls for greater oversight. The SEDD, created to foster economic growth in South Monroe and funded partly by a hotel sales tax approved in 2018.
