SOUTH FULTON, GA — City leaders in South Fulton are cracking down on the use of taxpayer dollars for international travel following allegations that Mayor Khalid Kamau spent more than $26,000 on overseas trips without proper approval.

The controversy has sparked a policy change, requiring all future international travel funded by the city to be reviewed and approved by the City Council. The new rules mandate that any such travel must include a clear purpose, detailed itinerary, estimated cost, and a post-trip report outlining the trip’s benefits to the city.

Mayor Kamau has defended the expenses, claiming the trips were focused on economic development and attracting new business to South Fulton. However, some council members say they weren’t convinced.

Councilmember Helen Zenobia Willis criticized the mayor’s justification, stating, “No one had talked to an economic development department about these international trips. What was the real business purpose for these trips?”

Willis believes the trips were more like taxpayer-funded vacations and pushed for greater accountability. “There must be a purpose, there must be a detailed itinerary, it must have the estimated cost, and it must have the outcomes and benefits to the city,” she said.

An audit is now underway to determine whether Mayor Kamau will be required to repay the $26,000 spent.