The findings fuel ongoing tensions between Labat and several commissioners who have accused the first-term sheriff of misspending county funds with little accountability. Georgia state law allows sheriffs and other constitutional officers, including district attorneys, to enter contracts outside the typical approval process involving oversight by county commissions. Typically, Fulton purchases are made through the county’s procurement department, which adheres to a strict set of rules and seeks bids from multiple vendors before recommending a decision.
“This is a significant area of financial and reputational risk for the County and heightens the potential for improper or even illegal activities related to procurement and the use of public funds,” the report, written by national accounting firm Cherry Bekaert, read.
Labat’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The report identified several possible solutions, ranging from forming a committee to encourage use of the county’s more rigorous procurement process among constitutional officers to lobbying the Georgia state legislature to change state law.
“There’s got to be transparency when it comes to contracting and procurement,” Commissioner Bob Ellis said.
Over the past year, Labat’s spending has become a flashpoint for the commission. In November, the commission suspended use of the county’s inmate welfare fund after Ellis discovered the sheriff’s office had used the money for promotional events, jugglers, consultants and more than $1 million on vehicles, including an $84,000 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Labat.
In October, the Fulton County Commission voted to rescind $2.1 million it had allocated for the sheriff’s contract with Talitrix. The commission had originally approved Labat’s emergency request in April, but were alarmed to learn the sheriff had a previous undisclosed contract with the company and just 15 of 1,000 wristbands earmarked by the contract were in use. An…
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