DeKalb may owe feds $500K for disaster relief
A federal audit concludes that DeKalb County may have to return more than $500,000 in disaster relief money.
The disputed funding came from a $3.3 million public assistance grant distributed for repairs of roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged by heavy storms in September 2009.
The audit doesn't allege that DeKalb misspent federal funds. Instead, it faults the county for poor accounting practices, incomplete information about costs and inadequate record-keeping.
DeKalb officials say they believe they've be able to explain most of their spending, which would significantly reduce the amount pursued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
