The Paris City Council is now in control of what, if any, actions the city will take in response to an investigation of the Paris Economic Development Corp.
According to a report by The Paris News, the council received the investigation's findings on Sept. 15 at a joint session of the council and the Economic Development Corporation’s governing board. The presentation of the report was made by Jeff Moore, an attorney hired by the Economic Development Corp. The investigation was conducted by Dallas-based investigator Danny Defenbaugh, who was not present at Monday evening’s meeting.
Paris Economic Development Corp. board members did not agree on the implications of the investigation, according to The Paris News. At issue were whether inconsistencies in the agency’s bookkeeping were illegal and whether the report described any criminal activity.
Attorney Jeff Moore said that there’s no evidence Economic Development Corp. staff were using agency funds for personal benefit. Board member Dave Turner challenged that reading of the report. The board eventually voted 3 to 2 to send the report to the Paris City Council and take no further action as an institution based on the report.
