New commissioners aim to audit spending

For first time since 1980s, all members of board Democrats.

Last year, Gwinnett County Chair Charlotte Nash was tasked with creating a budget that she wouldn’t use.

The $ 1.91 billion document included $ 3 million for the newly elected officials — who took office Friday — to spend as they saw fit.

Already, the new board has found a way.

When they vote Tuesday to approve the county budget, a few new items will be part of the spending plan.

The proposed budget now includes $ 200,000 for a performance audit.

Nicole Love Hendrickson, the new chairwoman of the commission, said that was a priorit y. She wanted to see where money could be saved and reallocated, especially as needs continue in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Commissioner Kirkland Carden likened the audit of government spending to taking a just- purchased used car to a mechanic to see what might need to be fixed.

“I want to assess the condition that it’ s in ,” he said of county spending .“I think it’ s going to be important to find out where we can save money to fund programs important to this board .”

For the first time since the 1980s, Gwinnett’s board of commissioners is made up entirely of Democrats. They have pledged to build a more inclusive government.

In addition to the audit, the proposed changes include $ 200,000 for warming stations, to help homeless residents find shelter when the temperatures dip below freezing.

Matthew Elder, the director of Homefirst Gwinnett, said a partner had received a grant to pay staff at such a shelter overnight, after failing to find enough volunteers to do so as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

But Elder said he doesn’t think the one warming station he operates, near Norcross, is enough. Gwinnett is so large, and with limited accessibility to public transportation, there’s an opport unit y f or more services, he said.

“There’s certainly a need for more than one in Norcross when there are families in need in Duluth, Buford, Lawrenceville,” he said.

The warming station Elder operates opens when the temperature falls below 35 degrees.

Other additional expenditures include new staff in the clerk of court’s office, juvenile court’s family treatment court and planning and development; adjustments based on t he salaries of elected officials; and more money for community outreach.

REBECCA WRIGHT/ FOR THE AJC Newly elected Gwinnett County Commission Chair Nicole Love Hendrickson, a Democrat, says she wants to see where money in the county’s $ 1.9 million budget can be allocated to address shifting needs in the county.