NEWARK--The city's long battle over what it receives in rent for Newark Liberty International Airport and the nearby marine terminals has been dealt a blow by an independent audit, which found that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had met its obligations under the current leases.

The Port Authority last year paid the city $97.3 million, based in part on the revenues earned by the busy airport and at Port Newark. In a five-year lookback of payments and revenues at Port Newark and the airport, auditors for the city said there were no issues to report and no additional funds owed by the Port Authority.

The audit reports by RSM US of Boston, obtained by N.J. Advance Media, concluded that the annual accounting by the Port Authority for 2012 through 2015 "presents fairly, in all material respects, the rent computation and consolidate annual gross revenue-contractual basis of the Port Authority at the Newark Air Terminal and Newark Marine Terminal locations."

"The bottom line is there are no other additional amounts due," said Port Authority Chairman John Degnan, when asked about the findings.

City officials, however, say the issue is far from settled.

The audits came in the wake of an executive order last year by Mayor Ras Baraka calling for the establishment of a committee to examine the Port Authority's finances. The mayor has questioned whether the city was receiving its "just share" of revenues from its relationship with the powerful bi-state agency, which operates the region's airports, many of its major tunnels and bridges, the PATH rail system and New York Harbor seaports.

The Port Authority leases land from the city for Newark Liberty and Port Newark.

Degnan said the recently completed audits, which the city was entitled to under its agreement with the bi-state agency, showed that Newark was paid what it was owed under the leases.

"I look forward to a continuing, constructive relationship with the city and the mayor," he said.

The dispute, though, may not be over. A Newark spokesman said the city regarded the audit reports as incomplete.

"We have not received the final audit," said Frank Baraff. "The city intends to have further discussions with the Port Authority."

While the spokesman said there were no irregularities seen in the audits, "it would not be accurate to say that the city is satisfied it is receiving its fair share of rent payments and other financial benefits."

Baraka has repeatedly targeted the Port Authority as a source of new funds for Newark since first taking office in 2014, criticizing the agency's lease agreement with the city.

He has told Port Authority commissioners they should pay the city the lease money it deserves, arguing that "the citizens of Newark deserve better than what they've been getting," while offering to sell the agency the property occupied by the airport and seaport for a price he put at "tens of billions of dollars."

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.