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Daytona Beach City Manager Deric C. Feacher is defending how city employees use taxpayer-funded credit cards, even as an audit is now underway to review city spending practices.On Monday, Feacher pushed back against growing criticism over how city-issued P-cards are being used for expenses that range from hotel bills and restaurant tabs to birthday cakes and flowers. City records show some purchases appear to extend beyond official business.”There is still no issues that I’ve been able to see currently through my basic review,” Feacher told WESH 2 News.Feacher emphasized that city spending is already subject to oversight. “There’s always periodic audits that take place with our purchasing department,” he said. “So, it’s always someone evaluating and looking at each P-card expenditure and who’s using it.”The city’s P-card program came under scrutiny after city commissioner Stacy Cantu raised concerns. A former employee who oversaw the program did so before leaving earlier this year. That employee said in an email the city was hemorrhaging funds and that her concerns were ignored. Feacher disputed that account.”Not only was there something done,” he said. “There were follow-up meetings that took place with the employee, who decided in one of the emails that she didn’t need to meet with the CFO because she was going to leave.”When asked whether the city completed a full review after her departure, Feacher confirmed the process continued. “We reviewed all of those things, and we’ll provide you all the documents after she left our organization,” he said.City commissioners have selected an auditor to review the credit card spending.Feacher said some policies are about 20 years old and need to be updated. “Staff has been working on them for the past year,” Feacher said. “One of the top three priorities for our CFO, when she was hired about a year ago, was to look at our procurement and purchasing policy, and that’s in the works now.”We asked about some of the transactions. Records reviewed by WESH 2 News show hundreds of thousands of dollars in city spending at a local auto repair shop, raising questions about whether the contract had been rebid in recent years.”It’s not like we just went to the oil change place next door,” Feacher said. “There’s a process for that.”However, one city commissioner told WESH 2 they do not recall voting on that contract within the last five years, suggesting it may have expired and was never voted on again. Feacher also confirmed that contractors working for the city had been issued P-cards, something that raised further concern since those individuals are not city employees. The city has now suspended those cards.”Does it specifically say in their contract that they are allowed to have a credit card? No, it doesn’t,” Feacher said. “But it does not say that we are not allowed to let them use our stuff to get tax exemptions because they’re doing work we required.”Feacher said the city expects to finalize an updated draft of its spending and procurement policies in the coming weeks.”I’m very concerned that the narrative that’s been created, without reviewing the facts, could affect the people that I work with every day,” he said.
Daytona Beach City Manager Deric C. Feacher is defending how city employees use taxpayer-funded credit cards, even as an audit is now underway to review city spending practices.
On Monday, Feacher pushed back against growing criticism over how city-issued P-cards are being used for expenses that range from hotel bills and restaurant tabs to birthday cakes and flowers. City records show some purchases appear to extend beyond official business.
“There is still no issues that I’ve been able to see currently through my basic review,” Feacher told WESH 2 News.
Feacher emphasized that city spending is already subject to oversight. “There’s always periodic audits that take place with our purchasing department,” he said. “So, it’s always someone evaluating and looking at each P-card expenditure and who’s using it.”
The city’s P-card program came under scrutiny after city commissioner Stacy Cantu raised concerns.
A former employee who oversaw the program did so before leaving earlier this year. That employee said in an email the city was hemorrhaging funds and that her concerns were ignored. Feacher disputed that account.
“Not only was there something done,” he said. “There were follow-up meetings that took place with the employee, who decided in one of the emails that she didn’t need to meet with the CFO because she was going to leave.”
When asked whether the city completed a full review after her departure, Feacher confirmed the process continued. “We reviewed all of those things, and we’ll provide you all the documents after she left our organization,” he said.
City commissioners have selected an auditor to review the credit card spending.
Feacher said some policies are about 20 years old and need to be updated.
“Staff has been working on them for the past year,” Feacher said. “One of the top three priorities for our CFO, when she was hired about a year ago, was to look at our procurement and purchasing policy, and that’s in the works now.”
We asked about some of the transactions. Records reviewed by WESH 2 News show hundreds of thousands of dollars in city spending at a local auto repair shop, raising questions about whether the contract had been rebid in recent years.
“It’s not like we just went to the oil change place next door,” Feacher said. “There’s a process for that.”
However, one city commissioner told WESH 2 they do not recall voting on that contract within the last five years, suggesting it may have expired and was never voted on again.
Feacher also confirmed that contractors working for the city had been issued P-cards, something that raised further concern since those individuals are not city employees. The city has now suspended those cards.
“Does it specifically say in their contract that they are allowed to have a credit card? No, it doesn’t,” Feacher said. “But it does not say that we are not allowed to let them use our stuff to get tax exemptions because they’re doing work we required.”
Feacher said the city expects to finalize an updated draft of its spending and procurement policies in the coming weeks.
“I’m very concerned that the narrative that’s been created, without reviewing the facts, could affect the people that I work with every day,” he said.
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