Dacula city councilman Gregory Reeves rang up more than $11,000 on his city credit card on pizza and fast food, car rentals and insurance, discount shoes and other charges, many of which city staff believed were for personal use.

City staff say Reeves had used his city credit card for personal charges for years. But because the city didn’t have a formal policy on credit card use, they believed they were powerless to stop him.

In an era when a credit card can be a perk of public office, even in small towns like Dacula, local governments are finding they can’t prevent abuses by relying on common sense and trust.

Reeves, who was arrested last month and accused of theft in connection with his city credit card use, is not the only one who may have missed that lesson.

To find out more about this case and how local goverments are cracking down on this type of abuse, visit Myajc.com.