Hawaii, hairdos and Honey Baked Ham have more in common than might be expected. Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis paid for each using his city-provided credit card.
At least one Augusta commissioner is speaking out on the matter. John Clarke, 10th District Commissioner, has called for an audit of spending by the Mayor’s Office.
“There needs to be accountability,” Clarke said. “For some people, there’s a lot to be said for paper shredders and ashtrays with lighter fluid.”
The Augusta Finance Department provided the credit card records, but the Mayor’s Office declined to provide invoices or receipts for these purchases and others, including over $4,000 of online purchases Davis made on Amazon.com.
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A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office said the invoices they provided in response to questions about spending on the My Brother’s Keeper program were the only invoices they had.
The mayor spent roughly $60,000 in 2020 between two city credit cards he has, according to the credit card statements.
Despite the pandemic, Davis made a trip to Houston last April to attend the African American Mayors Association’s Annual Conference, to the tune of $4,056.
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In June 2020, during the pandemic, Davis flew out of Augusta for a summer trip to Hawaii with the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Taxpayers footed the $7,900 bill.
Davis’ credit card bill shows he spent $4,768 on Amazon; however, only two invoices were provided in response to an open records request.
Petula Burks, Davis’ chief of staff, said the Mayor’s Office would provide any invoices requested, but she added: “We don’t have everything.”
Burks blamed the city accounting department for not producing the records.
“They have a copy of all of the receipts,” she said.
However, a city finance department spokesperson said that the Mayors’ Office maintains a copy of its receipts and does not provide copies to the finance office.
Burks went on to say that the mayor’s office does turn in receipts when they use the credit card, but the few invoices they provided was all they have in their possession and that matches what the city accounting department has.
The city finance department doesn’t have the receipts, either, according to a source in that office. Because so many invoices are missing, very little documentation is available to explain credit card purchases by the mayor’s office.
Former Augusta Commissioner Jerry Brigham said the mayor’s unwillingness or inability to provide invoices and receipts for expenditures is certainly not normal business procedure.
“No, ma’am, that’s not normal,” said Brigham, who has a degree in accounting and is former chairman of both the Augusta Commission’s finance committee and the Richmond County School System. “I can’t imagine them not having an invoice. Every time I spent anything when I was in the government there, I had to turn in an invoice. I never was allowed to not turn in an invoice or receipt.”
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Brigham said that Augusta officials’ claim that they’re trying to be transparent is in conflict with the opaque way the mayor’s office does business.
The mayor’s office has also used the credit card to pay a local hair and makeup company.
According to Burks, a photo session was scheduled for members of the Mayor’s new staff, which would explain the $413 credit card charge for hair and makeup.
Burks said the pictures from that photo session are not on the city website because, “We have had a lot of staff changes. I just got here in October, and we have been working diligently to make changes.”
The mayor’s credit card has also made the rounds at local restaurants and fast-food businesses. The card has been used to make purchases at a variety of local restaurants including the Chop House, Fat Man’s Cafe, Farmhaus Burgers, Soy Noodle House and Nacho Mamas, as well as Popeyes, Wendy’s, Pizza-Hut, Captain D’s and Zaxby’s. The mayor paid for at least $2,755.44 of food purchases with his credit card in 2020.
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Comparing the mayor’s travel schedule with the credit card charges indicates that the mayor was out of town when a number of the Augusta fast food restaurant credit card charges were made.
Though the mayor’s credit card is in the name of Hardie Davis, no information has been provided as to whether anyone beside Davis is authorized to make purchases with the card.
Burks has said that the mayor’s office started keeping better records in April and May of 2020 when new hires were made. Additional improvements are needed and “just take time,” Burks added.
Sylvia Cooper and Scott Hudson both contributed to this article and can be reached at sylvia@theaugustapress.com and scott@theaugustapress.com.
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