AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Auditors are calling it financial mismanagement at Augusta’s Housing and Development office, after nearly $7 million is unaccounted for.“Disappointed, upset. I think now it’s time for us to kind of uncover where those dollars were spent because we owe the accountability to the taxpayer,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.Housing and Development has been a burden to Augusta taxpayers.Last year, the department’s misspending of federal rental assistance dollars cost Augusta more than $8 million in reimbursements and penalties, and another $70,000 for auditors to come in.Now, with the city bringing in a consulting firm, it added more than $8,700 per month to get the department up to proper accounting standards.“They’re going to come in and help up us to set the internal controls that are necessary for us to be successful in Housing and Community Development,” said City Administrator Tameka Allen.Sorting out the finances at the Hosing Department is one reason Augusta missed the deadline to submit to the state its 2024 audit, leaving the city out of compliance and stopping the flow of state dollars to the city.“Millions of dollars, as you know we receive a lot of funding from the state, those dollars are on hold right now until we get our 2024 audit completed,” said the mayor. “It does affect you from receiving any grant funding because that has not been actually filed,” said the administrator.
“Including FEMA?”…