Staff Reports
Andrew Gillum is coming under scrutiny for contracting program he crafted as a city commissioner, which was later shut down amid concerns from ethics officials.
POLITICO Florida reported Thursday that in 2006, as a city commissioner, Gillum helped take the lead in creating the city’s Charitable Contribution Incentive Program. The program was meant to give a vendors seeking contracts who gave to certified local charities a leg up. However, the program was deemed a failure and shut down in 2014.
The city, according to the report, spent $40,000 a year over eight years.
According to POLITICO Florida, a city audit found several issues — including that companies were likely to give charitable contributions, even without the program; few vendors were winning contracts through the program; and a contribution track log was not accurate — in 2011.
The audit, according to POLITICO Florida, said if the program continued “management should reconsider the costs of administration versus the benefit of the program to determine if the program is meeting its intended purpose.”
In a statement to POLITICO Florida, Gillum said the program was good, but poorly executed.
“The program looked to help companies operating in the city to be better corporate citizens,” he told POLITICO Florida. “Unfortunately, it was not well-advertised and we weren’t able to see its fullest potential.”
Gillum, now the Tallahassee mayor, is one of three Democrats running for governor.
