Augusta’s top housing official reportedly has been suspended after the U.S. Treasury Department asked the city to return $6.5 million in unspent federal funds intended for emergency rent assistance.
Housing and Community Development Director Hawthorne Welcher’s duties include overseeing the disbursement of federal funds for which Augusta qualifies. He has worked there since 2008. Calls to his office went unanswered Friday.
An email publicly surfaced in which City Administrator Tameka Allen informed Augusta commissioners March 21 of the Treasury notification, and that a March 24 meeting was scheduled “to address the request for payment,” including interest and other applicable fees…