The Beltline's board of directors said Tuesday it was launching a review of the project's finances after an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found taxpayer-funded expenses with a questionable link to the project.
John Somerhalder, the board's chairman, said the nine-member board is investigating after the AJC found that Beltline staffers spent taxpayer money on pricey meals, elaborate retreats and smaller-ticket items like a wedding gift and a parking ticket.
"We need to do this quickly and we are committed to doing just that," he said in a statement.
Board members did not say if they thought Beltline chief Brian Leary should be fired.
The AJC reviewed thousands of credit card purchases between April 2010 and May 2011 by the Beltline, the Atlanta project to turn 22 miles of unused railroad lines into a ribbon of parks, trails and transit ringing the city.
The newspaper found taxpayers picked up the tab for a $106.22 wedding gift for Leary's fiancee, his parking ticket and his dry cleaning bill. Other expenses included a $2,100 bill for food at a Braves game.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, a member of the board, said Tuesday he was "disappointed and frustrated" by the expenses but declined to comment on whether Leary should face punishment.
Other members of the Beltline's board have reacted with outrage to the newspaper's findings.
Fulton County Commissioner Emma Darnell has asked county officials to review the county's contract with the Beltline. Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd said the expenses demand a concrete response from the board.
"This is something we cannot ignore," said Sheperd. "This is an opportunity for us to step back and see what the problem is, to see if it's a lot deeper than we thought."
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