DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Douglas County is stopping county employees and commissioners from using purchasing cards for 100 days. The plan is to do an audit to make sure they aren’t using taxpayer money on things they shouldn’t be.
The move -- which will begin May 1 -- comes after Fire Chief Roderick Jolivette was placed on leave after 11Alive’s investigative team reported a firefighter who had several run-ins with the law.
That firefighter, Daymetrie Williams, is a fugitive in Alabama. Two county commissioners have also been suspended. Officials previously told 11Alive Jolivette's termination will go into effect May 1.
Our team scrubbed through Jolivette’s purchases from August until now. What stood out was the purchase from a florist on Valentine’s Day.
Douglas County Republican Party Chair Will Jones has called out county commissioners and workers for months amid concerns of how P-Cards were used.
“Valentine’s flowers? No way,” Jones said. "There's no way that can be chopped off to be county purchases. That's not a state holiday or county. It may have made somebody smile, but it's not making Douglas County citizens smile when money's being spent like that."
The county started using the purchase cards two years ago to allow certain people to purchase vendors for small amounts. They’re only supposed to be used for county business, not personal expenses.
The communications department told 11Alive the county is investigating possible fraudulent activity.
Communications Officer Bill Crane said out of the county’s 1,200 employees, about 100 can use P-Cards. The plan is to suspend use for 100 days, investigate, install new software, then train and improve oversight on how to watch purchases in real time.
Jones feels this is at least a step in the right direction.
“Hopefully things are getting cleaned up, Jones said. “That has yet, remains to be seen whether it's going to be effective or not. It's just more of our tax dollars being wasted on something that really made or designed for them to be able to do what they've been doing."
Crane said once the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the district attorney. Criminal charges are possible.