Corruption Investigator in Proposed 2013 Gwinnett Budget

The proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget that the Gwinnett commissioners will consider approving on Thursday, January 3, includes a $122,080 request from Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter to fund an assistant chief investigator.

The funds that Porter requested for the position in September made it into the final budget proposal.

This investigator would lead probes into government corruption in the Gwinnett County, which has been shaken by a series of incidents involving county officials that have tainted the county’s reputation and eroded public trust over the past two years.

Since 2010, three Gwinnett commissioners -- Charles Bannister, Kevin Kenerly and Shirley Lasster -- have resigned amid proof of or allegations of criminal conduct.

The assistant chief investigator also would assist the chief investigator in the daily operation and supervision of the criminal investigation staff.

Porter and other department heads submitted their budget requests in September.

The proposed 2013 budget was finalized in November. The budget totals $1.3 billion, which is 8.5 percent lower than the 2012 budget of $1.43 billion.

The proposed budget is available online at gwinnettcounty.com.

This article originally posted in Duluth Patch.