Senoia mayor Joan Trammell is angrily denying charges that her administration acted improperly last month when it agreed to purchase two trucks for the city.

The city council agreed to purchase a truck for the city's workers and a truck for public works director Leonard Thompson at its March 15 meeting. But after the city council gave its approval, a concerned citizen contacted the Coweta Citizen Review about questionable actions involving the purchase of the vehicles.

The source, who wished not to be identified, said the city actually issued a purchase order for the vehicles back in January and Thompson was seen driving the new truck the day before the council approved the purchases.

When contacted about the incident, Trammell said the city has done nothing wrong.

"These trucks were already approved for the 1999 budget. The discussion we had at the council meeting was whether to finance the vehicles or just pay for them out right," she said.

She added that checks have not been written for the vehicles yet, since the council has 30 days to pay for the new vehicles. When questioned about why Thompson was driving the truck before the council approved the funds, Trammell said it's a common practice.

"It's not unusual to have a dealer let you drive the vehicle before you sign the papers," she said.

The mayor added the council may opt to lease the vehicles and will discuss the matter at this Monday's city council meeting. She also said she had heard that people were questioning why a motion was not made to approve the purchases.

"The funds were already budgeted and we just needed a consensus from the council on how to purchase the cars," she said.

This marks the second time in two years the city council has come under fire for vehicle purchasing issues.

In 1997, then-mayor Kathy Goodell conducted a telephone poll to approve the purchase of a car for incoming police chief Ben Thomas.