Nov. 12, 1999: Dismayed by what they found and frustrated about the lack of time to investigate, outgoing members of a second Richmond County grand jury call for the creation of a special grand jury to investigate the operation and management of city government.

Dec. 1, 1999: The 23-member special grand jury is empaneled, consisting of 10 women and 13 men; nine are black and 14 are white. It is the first special grand jury in recent memory, officials say.

During the next eight months, numerous city officials are called to testify and hundreds of government documents are requested for examination.

Aug. 31, 2000: The special grand jury issues its first report, finding no evidence of wrongdoing in the selection of Operations Management International as a contractor to operate and manage the city's sewage treatment plants. It criticizes Commissioner Lee Beard's family business, radio station WRDW-AM, for entering a contract with OMI four days before the contract selection process began.

Oct. 2, 2000: The special grand jury releases its second report on the disbursement of county funds for indigent care to University Hospital, deriding city officials for not understanding the process whereby money is provided to pay for the medical costs of the poor and uninsured.

January 12, 2001: The special grand jury releases it third and most scathing report on the operations of city government, targeting Augusta commissioners and accusing them of divisiveness, incompetence and micromanagement.

Feb. 9, 2001: The special grand jury releases its fourth report, examining the assessment and collection of property taxes in Richmond County. Grand jurors recommended random audits and more advanced security measures to prevent theft and embezzlement within the city's tax department.

May 1, 2001: The special grand jury releases its fifth report, which examines inequities in the pension and retirement plans of the government employees. The grand jury recommends that proposals be sought to correct the "patchwork quilt of retirement plans."

May 21, 2001: A Richmond County Superior Court order is released by Judge Albert M. Pickett approving between $6,000 and $8,000 for the special grand jury to pay an accountant to conduct a preliminary audit of the city's fire department for the years 1997-2000.

Sept. 21, 2001: The special grand jury releases its sixth report, which says millions of city dollars are being squandered on avoidable workers' compensation claims from on-the-job injuries. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office is singled out in the report, with grand jurors juxtaposing its poor safety record with the successful records of private businesses and industries.