Council Committee Baffled Over Consolidation Task Force’s Role and Power to Spend

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Confusion and frustration at Macon City hall Monday as the appropriations committee struggled to understand the role of the consolidation task force.

41NBC first reported a few weeks ago about concerns over the transition team spending taxpayer money without council’s consent.

Those issues came out of a late-night legislative meeting at the close of the Georgia general assembly.

Monday, city attorneys tried to quash the rumors that lawmakers gave the transition task force more power to spend money and enter into additional contracts. Councilwoman Elaine Lucas, who’s been outspoken against consolidation, says the people are being lied to about the merger.

“I hate to say I told you so but back when we were trying to keep people from voting for this consolidation thing,” says Lucas, “we were saying there were too many unanswered questions and every day down here we’re finding that there are more and more questions left unanswered.”

The appropriations committee squabbled with city attorneys for two hours over this and other issues.
Assistant City Attorney Judd Drake says the consolidation task force will not spend any more money other than what the county has already approved.

The committee also voted 5 to 0 to spend $1.7 million on new software and computer hardware for the new government.