Mayor Garnett Johnson’s unconventional method of spending city funds is “outside of existing policy” and took heat from some Augusta commissioners during a Tuesday committee meeting.
In other action, the commission shifted course in its search for a new general counsel and received a status update on the removal of hundreds of trees in downtown Augusta for a streetscape project.
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Starting last fall, Johnson and staff members made mayor’s office purchases using his personal credit cards, then submitted receipts to the Finance Department for reimbursement.
As of June, the requests totaled around $86,000, officials said at the Tuesday Finance Committee meeting.
Johnson’s chief of staff, Jasmine Sims, said the office had opted out of using a city p-card due the need to make sudden, large purchases, such as renting a teleprompter for a visit by First Lady Jill Biden.
The expense from the visit exceeded Augusta’s $500 daily and $5,000 monthly spending limits for city-issued cards.
Johnson defended the spending, saying his totals remained well under the mayor’s office annual $554,000 budget.
Questioned by commissioners Tuesday, Finance Director Donna Williams said she raised concerns about the process when Johnson’s office submitted receipts for reimbursement last year.
Augusta has a detailed procurement policy that all department heads, including elected officials, have to follow, she said.
State law dictates that local government-issued purchasing cards or credit cards must be governed by a policy, with a spending limit, she said.
The commission set a policy with limits during former Mayor Hardie Davis’ tenure.
Using personal cards, then seeking reimbursement “is outside of existing policy,” she said.
The department returned Johnson’s latest request in part because it duplicated items the city had already reimbursed, she said.
In a July 16 email obtained by The Augusta Press, Williams elaborated on issues with the request.
The request duplicated a $7,697 expense that had already been reimbursed and sought reimbursement for $2,786 and several airfares that had already been paid, it said.
A meal receipt from Rockin’ Crab showed a 45% tip of $42.87, it said.
Commissioner Jordan Johnson said the large requests for personal reimbursements would raise questions if presented by other city staff members.
“If any other director came before us with this amount of money coming back to be reimbursed, it would be World War 3,” Johnson said.
Commissioner Tony Lewis asked Williams if prior mayors had used personal cards for which they sought reimbursement.
“This would be the first occasion,” she responded.
Williams said she recommended Mayor Johnson’s staff be issued a p-card, and his office issued a city credit card.
‘He’s done the right thing’
Two commissioners defended the mayor’s spending request.
Commissioners Sean Frantom, Alvin Mason and Bobby Williams and Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Garrett were absent for the discussion Tuesday.
Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle said if the city was required to pay former Mayor Hardie Davis’ credit card bill, it should be required to pay Johnson’s.
Questionable card expenditures by Davis prompted the commission to adopt a credit card policy it had been lacking for several years.
General Counsel Wayne Brown said the city’s obligation to pay a credit card bill is as the issuer of the card.
“What obligates the city is when the city issues a credit card to an employee or an elected official, the city is telling the credit card company ‘if you honor this card, we will reimburse you,’” Brown said.
Commissioner Catherine Smith McKnight said the current mayor is a “far cry” from the previous one.
“I can’t sit here and watch him get put down when he’s done the right thing so far and will continue,” McKnight said.
The committee voted to forward the discussion to the next committee cycle and to give staff an opportunity to study the issue.
In other action
The commission voted unanimously to increase the pay of Chief Civil and Magistrate Judge Carletta Sims Brown and Presiding Civil and Magistrate Judge Le’Joi Williamson by $10,000 each.
The judges made $140,000 and $130,000, respectively, in 2022. Their salaries trailed those of Richmond County State Court judges, who make more than $160,000.
Search firm to assist in general counsel search
The commission voted to terminate the current recruitment process to replace General Counsel Wayne Brown, the husband of Sims Brown, who is resigning.
The city released four names last week of finalists for the position. They included three current staff attorneys, Sam Meller, Robert Andrew Kerr and Zena McClain-Haymon, as well as local lawyer Brendan Fleming.
The commission voted to approve hiring a recruiting firm to help with the process, and to conduct closed-door interviews with the candidates. Commissioners encouraged current applicants to reapply.
Tubman monument to be replaced
The Administrative Services Committee approved spending around $135,000 to replace the Emily S. Tubman monument on Greene Street. The monument was destroyed when a motorist crashed into it.
The spending includes $25,000 from the driver’s insurance policy, a $25,000 grant from the Porter Fleming Foundation and a $100,000 federal grant.
Board member rule sent to full commission
The Administrative Services committee forwarded to the full commission without recommendation Frantom’s recommendation that city employees serve only in non-voting, ex-officio roles on city boards.
The recommendation has very limited application outside the Augusta, Georgia Land Bank Authority.
Unlike most city boards, the authority’s enabling legislation specifies members include Augusta’s planning director, administrator, tax commissioner and chief appraiser.
Tree removal may be reduced
In response to a packed town hall meeting last week, officials addressed concerns about the widespread removal of trees downtown for ongoing Transportation Investment Act upgrades.
Engineering Director Hameed Malik said the city may be able to save about 43 of some 500 trees marked for replacement.
Malik said while he’d met with Roy Simkins, chairman of the Augusta Tree Commission about the plan, the tree commission’s approval was not required.
Augusta has to finish spending some $278 million in 1% TIA funds by 2027, said Abie Ladson, the former city engineering director now a consultant with Infrastructure Systems Management on the projects.
“Any tree that’s going to be removed is going to be replaced,” Ladson said. “At this point, we can’t go back to the drawing board.”
Former Augusta Traffic Engineer Steve Cassell, also now a consultant with ISM, said the city inventoried the downtown tree canopy in 2014, just before the ice storm.
Cassell said after the meeting a state champion crape myrtle was inadvertently marked for destruction.
