Committees of the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission moved today to begin tightening financial procedures in the aftermath of Arkansas Times reporting about numerous questionable expenses at Little Rock National Airport, chiefly by airport director Ron Mathieu, but some involving expenses related to commissioners. Leslie Newell Peacock reports:
Ths commission’s personnel committee adopted policy changes that would require the executive director to submit all travel expense records to the Commission before reimbursement. The policy would also require Commission approval of all trips outside the continental United States.
At a later meeting, of the finance committee, Commissioner Jim Dailey requested that the Commission be provided a list of conference travel anticipated for the year and suggested it be made a separate line item.
The policy changes will go to the full commission when it meets Tuesday. Still unaddressed is Mathieu’s current ability to spend $50,000 on a single purchase at his discretion, without commission approval. This policy is to be reviewed later.