Georgia is one in a group of 16 states getting federal oversight of how it uses stimulus money, but not out of a reason of suspicion. The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, is following these particular states because since they hold a majority of the nation’s population, the group is getting roughly two-thirds of the stimulus funds.
Of the nearly $800-billion of federal stimulus money available, Georgia officials say the state in the end could realize around $7-billion. Bert Brantley with the Governor’s office says some aspects of Georgia’s own stimulus accountability model are being used by federal officials:
The GAO already issued a first review at the end of April. Brantley says the next will follow sometime in July, with reviews to continue for the next few years.
Of the nearly $800-billion of federal stimulus money available, Georgia officials say the state in the end could realize around $7-billion. Bert Brantley with the Governor’s office says some aspects of Georgia’s own stimulus accountability model are being used by federal officials:
"The GAO actually took a lot of what we were doing, a lot of the templates and the documents we’re using to track the spending and are sharing that with other states as well—kind of a model for other states to look at and use. They really like the way that we had begun our work in tracking and reviewing the spending."Governor Perdue earlier this year announced Georgians could track the state’s federal stimulus spending through the website: stimulusaccountability.ga.gov.
The GAO already issued a first review at the end of April. Brantley says the next will follow sometime in July, with reviews to continue for the next few years.
