Daytona Beach city auditor resigns after audits raise spending concerns

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Daytona Beach City Auditor Abinet Belachew is resigning after about a year on the job, following a series of audits that uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable spending and weak financial oversight across multiple city departments.

Resignation follows months of audits

The backstory:

Belachew's resignation letter does not reference the audits. Instead, he thanked city staff and residents for the opportunity to serve and said he looks forward to helping with the transition to his successor.

During his tenure, Belachew reviewed spending practices across multiple city departments and reported concerns about internal controls and financial oversight.

Audits identified spending concerns

Among the findings, the fire department spent more than $50,000 on food and beverages without proper documentation. Auditors also identified more than $500,000 in vehicle maintenance expenses and cited outdated policies and a lack of checks and balances over city spending.

In his resignation letter, Belachew wrote that "establishing and strengthening an independent and professional internal audit function inevitably involves challenges, particularly when the function is relatively new and is expected to provide objective oversight across a complex municipal organization. Nevertheless, I am proud of the progress made during my tenure."

State investigation continues

What's next:

The resignation comes as state prosecutors continue investigating the city's finances. Over the past several months, subpoenas have been issued seeking records from multiple departments within the city's administration. No criminal charges have been announced.

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