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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A city audit uncovered questionable spending on city-issued credit cards, with officials pointing to outdated policies and a lack of oversight as major factors. Now, as the controversy – which centers on P-cards – evolves, the audit will continue to look at the over $50,000 spent by the Daytona Beach fire department on fast food and restaurant meals.
What we know:
The latest spending controversy by Daytona Beach employees centers around purchasing cards, or "P-cards," used by the Daytona Beach fire department between 2021 and 2025.
According to the audit, over $50,000 was spent on food and drinks without proper documentation, including individual meals at restaurants like Burger King, Olive Garden, and Chart House. The report also flagged over $500,000 in vehicle maintenance expenses that auditors say should not have been charged to P-cards.
In many cases, identifying details such as VIN numbers, license plates, or unit numbers were missing.
Additional questionable purchases included televisions, birthday cards, leather dress shoes, a mini-refrigerator, a beer can cooler and more.
The report goes on to list several other issues, including uniform purchases, and an overall lack of documentation. The auditor highlighted how such lack of documentation leaves the city susceptible to personal purchase.
What they're saying:
"It’s very concerning," Daytona Beach Commissioner Stacy Cantu told FOX 35's Chris Lindsay.
Cantu was among the first city leaders who drew attention to possible discrepancies with the cards toward the end of last year.
"The food is excessive to me. Chart House, I mean, I’m lucky if I go to the Chart House," Cantu added, surprised by the dollar amounts. "You shouldn’t just be allowed to take a city credit card and use it wherever you feel fit."
Who spent the money?
Cantu said, based on her understanding of the situation, the majority of the questionable purchases were not made by firefighters. She’s hopeful more research will be conducted to learn more about who bought the items.
The firefighters "actually had no clue this was going on because by talking to them, they pay for their own meals. They pay for their own boots."
How did this start?
The backstory:
The audit follows a P-card investigation launched by the city last year, which uncovered discrepancies in spending and highlighted that many of the policies governing credit card use had not been updated in years. Officials say the lack of clear, modern guidelines contributed to confusion and inconsistent enforcement.
That investigation led to a series of others, including an approved state-level audit, which is to be completed by the end of the year.
New rules needed
The city manager has acknowledged that existing rules need to be strengthened.
"We will continue to establish clear timelines, monitor progress, and hold ourselves accountable for results. Strengthening internal controls is not optional, it is a fundamental responsibility of management," Deric Feacher said in a statement sent to FOX 35. He said, as of February 2026, several policy changes have been implemented to provide more clear instructions and guidelines.
What's next:
City leaders are expected to formally discuss the audit results at a meeting Wednesday, April 1, though the city manager is the only one allowed to take disciplinary staffing actions as it relates to the department.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from reports by FOX 35's Chris Lindsay.