Audit: Atlanta paid millions in overtime

Overtime expenses at the city of Atlanta spiked in the closing years of Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration and ballooned to $54.2 million in the last full budget year of this term, an audit by the city’s auditor found.

In fiscal year 2017 alone, overtime expenses exceeded budget by $34 million and overtime spending more than doubled over the five years examined by the audit.

The Atlanta Police department accounted for the bulk of the increase in overtime spending over the five-year budget period ending June 2017, auditors found.

Reed, who left office in January after eight years, did not imme

diately respond to a request for comment made to his spokesman. But the audit noted that in 2015 the mayor said publicly the

increases in police overtime were attributed to crime fighting initiatives and efforts to curb violence.