NATCHEZ — Adams County’s audit for the 2014 fiscal year is nearly seven months delinquent.

The government accountability document is due nine months after the fiscal year ends. The county’s fiscal year ends Sept. 30, which means the audit for the 2013-2014 year would have been due June 30.

The audit has been contracted with The Gillon Group, and County Administrator Joe Murray said the auditor is “trying to wrap it up right now.”

The delay is not because the county has not provided anything, he said.

Deanne Tanksley with the Gillon Group said in an email the company’s policy is not to comment on their clients’ activities or the status of their work.

The Gillon Group is also preparing the City of Natchez’s audit, which was also due June 30, but city officials have said the fault does not lie with the auditor. In that instance, the city was late in getting some materials to the auditors because of a resignation in the city clerk’s office, officials said.

A late audit can result in penalties for counties and municipalities, and Murray said the county has received correspondence noting that federal funding for county projects could be cut off because of the late audit. Any county or municipality that receives more than $500,000 in federal funding is required to have its audit done on time.

The county had a temporary suspension of funds in 2013, which delayed the federal funding for the construction of the St. Catherine Creek Bridge on Lower Woodville Road. Those funds were released when the audit for the 2012 year was completed and approved by the state. That audit was completed by Neiman and Associates of McComb.

The county does not currently have any project that is affected by the late audit, Murray said.

Of the 82 counties in Mississippi, only three were timely in turning their audits, he said.

“I feel like the state auditor ought to have some kind of responsibility in there,” Murray said. “It is not just counties not getting their stuff in when only three are getting theirs in on time. I think statewide it has become an acceptable trend, but statewide I think that is going to change because these sanctions are going in.”

The county’s fiscal year 2014-2015 audit has already been contracted to Fortenberry & Ballard of Brandon.

“I know they have already gotten started because I have been corresponding with them,” he said. “I would be very surprised if it is not done timely.”