Inside City Hall: Mayor scrutinized for unsanctioned spending

Every year, the city’s mayor hosts a lavish celebration for older Atlanta residents who have made a positive impact on the city. Known as the Senior Ball, last year’s event hosted by Mayor Andre Dickens was held at the Hyatt Regency downtown — the invitation stipulated the dress code was formal.

But Dickens’s spending for the event has come under fire for dodging legislative approval and for requesting that unsanctioned invoices be processed under questionable language.

According to a new report released by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), an investigation was launched into the 2022 event after a $120,653 payment from the city to the Hyatt Regency was labeled to be processed as a “professional courtesy.”

“The request for a ‘professional courtesy’ may give the unintended impression that the Office of the Mayor is abusing a privilege unavailable to other departments, to elude the requirements of the city’s procurement policy,” according to the OIG.

The charges blurred the lines between a city sponsored and private event, the report says. Costs for alcohol, premium hotel rooms and room service violated city spending policy. The mayor also used public funds to book hotel rooms for family members which bucked city rules.

The inspector general wrote that after a review of mayor’s office spending, the office found 11 more instances of payments being labeled a “professional courtesy” within a seven month period of time.

In response to the report, the mayor’s office they would address the concerns when planning this year’s soirée and that he would reimburse the city for his family’s hotel rooms.

The mayor’s office also sent a letter to the Inspector General’s office on Monday and said that Dickens administration would seek approval next City Council meeting to retroactively pay any remaining costs to vendors. They also pushed back that the mayor’s family were not just attendees but had hosting roles at the event.

“Let us assure you that we take this investigation seriously and will continue to strengthen and document our processes,” the letter said.

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

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Forbes recently announced Atlanta will be hosting the inaugural ForbesBLK Summit, which will convene the world’s Black business leaders, entrepreneurs, entertainers and creators in the city from Nov. 5-6.

The business magazine called Atlanta the number one Black entrepreneurial center and startup ecosystem. Black executives, from businesses ranging from Amazon to Goldman Sachs, as well as sports icons like NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, will host discussions about breaking barriers, creating more equitable economies, and driving a new culture of connection, according to Forbes.

“We are the city that’s synonymous with Black excellence,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement. “Atlanta is the perfect place to host an inaugural event that is so timely, progressive and connected to culture.

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It’s not often that members of Georgia’s Republican party voice support of a decision made by Atlanta’s Democratic leadership. But that was the case this week when Josh McKoon, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, tweeted that he was pleased to see Dickens’ administration utilizing signature verification methods to validate the pending petition to get the training center on the ballot as a referendum.

The mayor’s office announced last week it would utilize, if necessary, signature matching to verify names of tens of thousands of signers. The choice caused uproar from Democrats who have historically criticized the tactic for unintentionally disenfranchising voters.

“Of course, when you want a fair process, you want to verify the identities of your voters,” McKoon tweeted. “So kudos to Mayor Dickens and the Atlanta City Council for insisting on a fair elections process by using robust Voter ID measures!”

Some Atlanta Democrats were not as happy. State Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Atlanta, said he broke a social media break to express his disappointment with the mayor’s decision.

“I’m breaking my Twitter moratorium just to say that I strongly disagree with Atlanta’s plan to do signature matching,” he said. “Democrats have sued the GOP over inconsistencies in signature matching. I’ve communicated this privately to ATL and also want to be on record here.”

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