Board's expenses for travel 'worth it'
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 14, 2014 10:24 AM
Wayne County commissioners have spent nearly $25,000 so far this year to travel to meetings in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Asheville.
The $12,187.15 that was spent on the Washington, D.C., trip was part of the 2013-14 fiscal year budget, while the $12,735.94 for the trips to New Orleans and Asheville came from the 2014-15 fiscal year budget, which started July 1.
The expense is a good investment, local officials say -- and the budget is much lower than in past years.
The 2012-13 budget provided $25,000 for travel, later revised to $33,025, with the actual amount spent being $32,321.80.
The 2013-14 budget, originally included $27,700 for travel, but was revised to $38,700, of which $38,498.74 was actually spent.
Commissioners' 2014-15 budget includes $27,700 for travel. So far $12,735.94 has been spent.
Commissioner Joe Daughtery, who readily admits he used to be one of those people who complained about the county's travel costs, said he now understands the importance and benefits of those meetings.
Along with gathering invaluable information, the meetings provide commissioners an important opportunity to network with officials from across the state and nation, County Manager George Wood said.
And those connections and the knowledge of the latest developments in legislation and funding opportunities can benefit Wayne County, Wood said.
In March, Daughtery, Commissioners Ed Cromartie, Wayne Aycock, Bill Pate, John Bell and former commissioner Steve Keen attended the national legislative conference in Washington, D.C. The total spent was $12,187.15.
In August, the county spent $8,225.85 for Daughtery, Ray Mayo, Pate, Bell and Cromartie, Wood and Clerk to the Board Marcia Wilson to attend the N.C. Association of County Commissioners' annual conference in Asheville.
Keen, Bell, Daughtery, Cromartie, Mayo, Pate and Ms. Wilson attended the 2013 annual conference in Greensboro at a cost of $5,422.34
Another $4,510.09 was spent this past July for Pate and Mayo to attend the National Association of Counties' annual conference in New Orleans.
No one attended the national conference held last year in Dallas, Texas.
"I was one of those guys who fussed," Daughtery said. "Now if it was a trip where we were going to Cancun, Mexico, to Hawaii -- I think that is a bit much. So we need to have it close by where it is not going to cause undue burden on the taxpayer.
"The Washington trip is important for a number of reasons. One, you are able to meet with commissioners from all over the United States and get ideas from them on how they are solving their problems. But additionally, it allows you to go see your representatives in Congress so we can advocate firsthand stating what we feel like they can do to help us here in Wayne County with federal legislation."
The N.C. Association of County Commissioners' conference offers the same benefits, but on a state level, Daughtery said.
"It allows you to intermingle with other county commissioners in North Carolina," he said. "They are dealing with the same tax issues, the same regulations, the same dealings with state government and bureaucracy."
Wood said it was important for the entire board to attend the N.C. Association of County Commissioners' annual statewide conference held last month in Asheville.
"They will talk about different aspects of public policy at the state level that we are trying to get changed," he said. "Or if there is a good program that someone has put in place here and they want to spread the word about it."
It is important to remember as well that serving on the board is a part-time job, Wood said.
"They are not living with it day in, day out like the staff is," he said. "So I think it is very good when they can go to these things, get specific information and make connections with other commissioners."