The age of loose spending through taxpayer-funded charge cards is over for DeKalb County’s elected officials.
All of the county government's elected leaders have stopped using Visa cards since a state law restricting their use passed last year, according to county documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through an open records request.
Those purchasing cards, intended for official business expenses, were a vehicle for spending on ski resort bookings, cellphones, computer equipment, meals and Amazon.com purchases, leading to allegations that officials used them for personal enrichment without oversight.
Former DeKalb Commissioner Elaine Boyer is serving prison time after pleading guilty to P-card and kickback charges, and a Sept. 30 report on corruption in the county questioned more than $537,000 in officials' expenses, including charge card spending.
Since commissioners gave up their P-cards, they're having to write checks or use personal credit cards for expenses, then seek reimbursement from the county.
“Now we can move forward,” said Commissioner Larry Johnson. “We can stay focused. There’s no need for the cards.”
Commissioner Kathie Gannon said P-cards were a convenient way to do government business, but they had to go after they were misused.
“Because of the dishonesty of a few, everyone suffers,” Gannon said. “But if that’s what we have to do, that’s what we have to do.”
The crackdown on P-cards began last year when Georgia lawmakers approved House Bill 192, which required county commissions, city councils and school boards to pass rules and transaction limits before the cards could be issued to elected officials.
In DeKalb, commissioners decided to stop using P-cards altogether rather than debate policies governing their use. Many other governments across Georgia have crafted ordinances allowing the continued use of charge cards for expenses.
“If what they did in DeKalb County is just turn in all the P-cards, that accomplishes what I intended to do,” said Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, who sponsored HB 192. “They’re not supposed to use them for personal purposes.”
Besides elected officials, most county employees also lost their charge cards last June when Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May limited their use to special circumstances such as emergencies, vehicle repairs and court expenses.
The cards were issued to 142 county employees — including commissioners, judges, District Attorney Robert James, Solicitor-General Sherry Boston and May himself — before May suspended them, according to county records.
There are 55 people left using the cards in DeKalb, mostly employees like mechanics, plumbers and administrators who make on-the job purchases.
“The P-card wasn’t the problem — it was the people who were found guilty,” said Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton. “Politics overcame reality, and this was a way to shut it down.”
Commissioner Stan Watson said the cards were often used to pay for official travel expenses. Their elimination is an inconvenience, but it’s a step to placate suspicions of improper spending, he said.
“It quiets down the contention that they were being abused,” he said.
Governments that wanted to allow their elected officials to continue using P-cards had to pass local policies by Jan. 1, according to HB 192.
Attorneys and officials from across Georgia made frequent phone requests seeking guidance in the last few months about how to ensure they complied with the new law, said Todd Edwards, associate legislative director for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
“It’s good government,” he said. “In order to maintain the public trust, there has to be a law in place.”
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