Resident calls for public presentation after city forensic audit; council says staff received report recently

A resident urged the East Point City Council on Aug. 4 to present and act on the findings of a forensic audit into the city's finances, calling for a detailed public timeline for implementing recommendations.

"We now know that no evidence of any employee's involvement was ever found and that our city workers are no more gullible than the rest of us. The auditor's judgment is clear. It was just carelessness," said Ralph Berry, identified in the meeting as a resident, summarizing the report and urging the council to schedule a public presentation and to spell out how it would implement each recommendation.

Berry read aloud findings he said the audit contained: missing documentation for purchases, altered checks, unentered checks totaling more than $200,000, and questions about capital assets and utility-account adjustments. He called for council to set a date for a public presentation and for explicit steps to implement the auditor's recommendations.

Council members responded that staff had only recently received the forensic-audit findings and that a public briefing would be scheduled. Council members said the city is committed to transparency and to acting on audit recommendations where appropriate; staff later said they are working on a timeline for a formal presentation to council and the public.

Why it matters: The audit findings described in public comment allege weaknesses in internal controls and financial recordkeeping. Council members acknowledged those concerns and committed to making findings and corrective steps available to the public.