Copyright Arkansas Online
Your browser does not support the audio element. Mount Ida Mayor Vann Morgan was arrested Tuesday after, auditors said, he was overpaid by more than $94,000 over a 17-month period. Morgan faces one count of theft of property, according to a news release from the Montgomery County sheriff's office. The investigation into Morgan stemmed from a legislative audit that found Mount Ida's mayor and recorder/treasurer were paid a total of $108,684 more than they were entitled to in 2024 and part of 2025. Morgan was overpaid by $94,491, while the recorder/treasurer was overpaid by $14,193, the audit found. The payments, made from January 2024 through May 2025, came via extra payroll checks and health insurance reimbursement checks. During an Oct. 9 meeting of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee's Committee on Counties and Municipalities, Morgan said the money came from advanced paychecks. "I was just needing money helping my kids and I was getting advanced checks, which I'm not anymore," he told the committee. "I'm paying it back. I'm not getting paid anymore. I've already paid back about $9,900 already." Morgan was booked into the Montgomery County jail and later released on bond, the sheriff's office release says. The investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests and charges are expected, the release says.
