Augusta mayor responds to personal credit card use for office expenses

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Mayor Garnett Johnson doesn’t see using his personal credit cards for offices expenses as a big issue.

“I think it’s all fuss about nothing I think the most important aspect of this is that we’ve run our office fiscally responsible,” said Mayor Johnson.

The mayor asking to be reimbursed for about $50,000 in charges on his credit card for city business but has been denied repayment by the Finance Department.

“We find ourselves without a policy to address that, so I don’t have a sanctioned method of reimbursement,” Finance Director Donna Williams told commissioners.

Three years ago, after Mayor Hardie Davis came under fire for his city credit card use, the commission adopted a policy setting a five hundred dollar a day limit.

Now some commissioners suggest making changes for the mayor’s office.

“I guess what we’re going to have to do is have the mayor use a P card or credit card from the government, expand the credit limit on it monthly charge. I think that would solve the problem,” said Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle.

The finance committee still having problems not recommending reimbursing the mayor asking to see more receipts at its meeting in two weeks.

With concerns the mayor could be getting reward points for the charges, it’s creating bad optics for his office.

“I never thought of that, we just wanted to get what we needed so we could run our office efficiently.”

The mayor’s personal credit card use may be efficient, but the finance director said it’s not city policy.

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