NATCHEZ &8212; The Kinard Group, a collections agency based in Jackson, may owe Adams County money, and the county is hiring auditors to find out.

Until recently, The Kinard Group had a contract with the county to collect fines for the circuit court, justice court and the department of sanitation, County Attorney Bob Latham said Monday.

The county will perform an audit &8220;to see what amounts have been turned over and what amounts the county is entitled to,&8221; Chancery Clerk Tommy O&8217;Beirne said.

The county will conduct its own audit through the Switzer, Hopkins and Mange, O&8217;Beirne said Monday.

Latham said he did not know when the audit would begin, but he suggested it might start the beginning of July.

Sandra Brown, manager of the Natchez branch of The Kinard Group, said the agency has not collected for the county in a year. Kinard does, she said, still collect for the Natchez Regional Medical Center.

Brown said the county would not allow Kinard to send partial payments.

She also said the county is not processing checks fast enough, so it is difficult to tell what has been paid.

&8220;(Justice court clerk) invoices never matched ours,&8221; Brown said.

The Kinard Group initially said they would employ 40 to 50 workers in Natchez, but as of now, there is only one Kinard employee in Natchez &8212;Brown herself.

Brown said there is a lack of business in the area and lack of help from the county.

&8220;The development authority was supposed to have introduced business to us but never did,&8221; she said.

Spokesmen at Kinard in Jackson were not in the office Monday.