Auditing Firm Slams Bibb School Board Over Ballard-Hudson Lease

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A local auditing group tonight slammed The Bibb County School board for a “lack of governance” when it comes to spending.

Miller Edwards from the auditing firm Mauldin and Jenkins presented their findings today in front of a standing room only board room. He addressed the leasing of the old Ballard-Hudson Middle School, which the board plans to use for it’s Promise Neighborhood programs.

The board sold that property back in 2009 for just $220,000. Now they are leasing it for double that per month—about $575,000 over ten years.

Edwards cited a June 2012 resolution that says the board can only enter into contracts totaling $10 million over a ten year period.

“Instead, we had someone enter into contracts for $19.4 million, that exceeded the authority, and there are policies in place that prohibit that kind of activity from happening,” Edwards tells 41NBC.

Board member Wanda West agreed that there is a disconnect between decisions Dr. Dallemand has made in terms of spending and how policies are enforced by the board.

Attorney Jerry Lumley is in the middle of a lawsuit on the Ballard-Hudson issue, representing former Bibb Schools CFO Ron Collier, who says the lease is unconstitutional.

“The board should not have delegated to anybody–Dr. Dallemand, the president, anyone–should not have and cannot delegate the power to sign documents like he did,” says Lumley. “Before the lease was signed, before the commitment or memorandum of understanding was signed it should have been shown to the board.”

Lumley tells us the auditors are on the same page as he and his client, questioning the constitutionality of the Ballard-Hudson lease.