MACON, Ga. — This report has been contributed by Liz Fabian with Mercer University's Center for Collaborative Journalism.

It will be at least September before the Macon Water Authority approves a new purchasing card policy after board members deferred the matter during Thursday’s monthly meeting of the board.

MWA’s President Ron Shipman, attorney Jay Strickland and the authority’s comptroller, Robert Edwards, reviewed state and local spending policies to formulate the draft for a new manual, which requires some minor tweaking.

In February, District 2’s Desmond Brown requested a review of the authority’s policy following a media report critical of purchasing card spending.

Shipman explained there was no clear-cut policy when he took the helm of the authority in December 2022, and he

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