Audit lays out mismanagement behind Fulton HIV grant

Mismanagement and bureaucratic hassles across several departments cost Fulton County nearly $9 million in federal money to fight HIV, an internal audit shows.

Insufficient oversight, cumbersome hiring and purchasing rules and a lack of centralized grant management all contributed to the loss of the federal money, according to the county's internal auditor. The audit report, completed last week, is the latest in a series of grant and contracting investigations that have revealed serious problems in Fulton County government over the last year.

County Manager Dick Anderson already has taken several steps to address the HIV grant foul-up, including replacing the health department director and strengthening oversight of grants.