12 M E T R O S P I R I T
MetroBeat
A P R 1 7 2 0 0 3
Commission Stands Behind Geri Sams
F
or the past year, Geri Sams has found herself in the fight of her professional career. “Due to favoritism, lack of attention, sloppiness, stubbornness and incompetence, the purchasing department, under Geri Sams, has become a block to efficient government,” the Richmond County special grand jury wrote in a 52-page report that was released on Aug. 13, 2002. “Her point of view reigns and the system clogs up.” Slap. “Instead of encouraging responsible purchasing, (Sams) allowed cronies to play fast and loose with tax money,” the grand jury report stated. “Instead of solving problems, more programs are shifted out of purchasing and more red tape is added to an already bloated government.” Punch. “Replace Geri Sams,” the report stated. “There is a great need for a new director due to the failure of the present one to fulfill the most basic criteria for good government.” And that was the knockout. Or, at least, that’s what it appeared the members of the grand jury wanted. The message they sent the Augusta Commission was loud and clear: Get rid of Geri Sams. However, commissioners didn’t jump to conclusions. Instead, they hired Baird & Company Certified Public Accountants to perform an audit of the purchasing department. On April 3, Baird & Company presented the commission with its findings, which read like a birthday card to Sams compared to the allegations tossed at her by the grand jury.
“
Baird & Company basically found problems in the area of the computerization of the purchasing department’s records. For example, the audit stated that the updating and maintaining of the city’s vendor list is antiquated and much of the department’s records are still done manually. The audit also found that some city departments’ purchases had invoice dates prior to the date listed on the purchase orders. This finding indicated that some of the departments are buying items prior to going through the proper procedures outlined by the purchasing department. In order to correct the problem, the audit recommended that each department head be held accountable if he or she does not follow the proper purchasing procedures. Otherwise, the problem is simply dropped in the purchasing department’s lap. The audit report did not confirm the grand jury’s allegations that Sams is an “untouchable” department head who runs the purchasing department with “incompetence,” causing problems to “fester and infect the whole governmental structure.” In fact, Baird & Company reported nothing of the kind. For almost a year, Sams has been unable to publicly fight back against any of the allegations leveled at her by the grand jury, but on April 15, the Augusta Commission decided to speak up for her. “This was a kind of deliberate attempt by some in the special grand jury to character-assassinate some members of this government and, to me, they became very personal in their attacks,”
BY STACEY EIDSON
Augusta Commissioner Lee Beard said. “Clearly, the purchasing agent has been damaged by information that was put out by the special grand jury and I think this (audit) has vindicated her of that.” Beard said that he thought the commission should officially go on record supporting Sams. After the year Sams has experienced, Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams said that was the least the
commission could do. “Law has always, in my mind, supported that you were innocent until you are proven guilty,” Williams said. “But criminals have been treated better, I think, that we knew were guilty. “I think at least the grand jury ought to send a letter of apology (to Sams) to let people know that they’ve made a mistake,” Williams added. “And I think we as a board ought to wrap our arms
Clearly, the purchasing agent has been damaged by information that was put out by the special grand jury and I think this (audit) has vindicated her of that. – Augusta Commissioner Lee Beard
”