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Is more than $70 million missing in DeKalb?

Viola Davis, a concerned citizen in DeKalb, discusses her suspicions about potential theft of taxpayer money involved with the construction of a sidewalk along South Hairston Road.
By Mark Niesse
Aug 10, 2016

A DeKalb County government document shows that $72 million was spent to build a sidewalk that actually cost $1.26 million.

Is that inexplicable amount an indication of fraud or a simple typo?

DeKalb officials say no money is missing, and the $72 million amount is an error from a spreadsheet created in 2012.

But Viola Davis of the citizen group Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter says she's concerned that money may have been stolen, and she wants the county to conduct a comprehensive audit to ensure public money has been protected.

ExplorePlease read the more about the mystery on MyAJC.com.

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.

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