DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Daytona Beach city commissioner is raising questions about what she calls questionable spending on city credit cards. The commissioner did her own public records request to see who has access to the cards and what they’ve used them for.
“Why are we paying for contractors’ employees’ training? This stuff doesn’t make any sense. Why are we paying her cell phone bill? $144 a month,” said Commissioner Stacy Cantu.
Cantu asked for a list of every person issued a credit card in 2024 and 2025, along with their names, job titles, departments, and spending limits. Cantu claims both city employees and contractors have spent thousands of dollars at department stores, and on travel and food.
“Nowhere in this contract that we approved does it say that contractors’ employees get credit cards. Usually, when a contractor needs something, they put a purchase order in, and then they get reimbursed. They should not have access to just …money, city money,” said Cantu.
City commissioner Paula Reed echoed her concerns.
“I only use my card when I go to a conference. I didn’t know I could go and get food and all that other stuff,” said Reed.
We looked into the city’s purchase card policy, which says travel expenses such as hotels, food, and airline tickets cannot be put on a credit card regardless of the amount. Commissioners agreed to have a city auditor investigate the spending.
Eyewitness News also asked who signed off on the purchases and we are still waiting to hear back. We will keep you updated on what happens with the auditor’s investigation.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
