What do Anchorage taxpayers have in common with local restaurants Charlie’s Bakery, Muddsuckers Inc. or Dianne’s? All are favorites of city officials, who have accumulated more than $20,000 in restaurant tabs on city purchasing cards (4MB) since the beginning of 2010.

The purchasing cards, or P-Cards, are intended to be used “for the purchase and payment of low-dollar goods, services, business and travel related expenses,” according to the Internal Audit Department.

Recently released  transaction records, however, reveal thousands of dollars spent on restaurant tabs for city officials, flowers, car detailing from BMW of Anchorage and California resort stays.

“The basic guidelines were, for food you could not be buying meals if they were between municipal employees,” said Peter Raiskums, Director of Internal Audit. “Now, there are always exceptions. We have to be really careful when we start criticizing food purchases.”

The most recent P-Card audit, released August 2009, noted numerous purchases “may not be for official Municipal business such as food, retirement plaques, flowers and office water,” but Raiskums said his department would not complete another audit this year because tighter controls on spending had greatly decreased the number of questionable purchases charged to city accounts.

Other 2010 P-Card purchases included multiple purchases in excess of $10,000 and of fuel for municipal vehicles, actions prohibited by city Policy & Procedure.

“We monitor the database of purchases, kind of an ongoing thing, and this administration really cracked down on it,” Raiskums said.

Chief Financial Officer Lucinda Mahoney could not be reached for comment.

By Kirsten Adams