Open Record Request - The Things I'm Finding

Good evening.  I want to first compliment the City Clerk's office for their efficiency and customer service, and apolitical nature, for filling my first Open Record Request in about three days.  While I should not be surprised, I was because they called me to refine my request and help identify the information I sought.  Keep up the good work as we in the community fight to make sure your pension is fully funded and you are dealt with honestly about your future retirement benefits.

So, what have I found?  First, I requested the Mayor's travel expenses for the current year.  What I received was not so much disturbing in the expenses as it was in the presentation.  When you order an Open Request, you receive a series of Purchase Orders that seem to be incomplete in the information provided.

For example, there are no dates on some of the PO sheets that might, for example, list a breakfast that the mayor had (seems to only eat with a few selected council people).  Nor is there a break-out of where the meal took place.  

Why is that interesting?  First of all, has anyone reading this ever worked for a big company that gave "per diem" for travel?  I did years ago and if you went over, that was your dime.  We also had certain "corporate standards" for travel.  The Ritz was off-limits but the Ramada was okay.  Of course, the per diem was adjusted for the City of travel (Washington being more expensive than Savannah).  

What you do not see from the request is the "granularity" of the expense...exact dates and locations.  Otherwise, how does someone in finance check that you are within the guidelines of your travel expense policy?  Unless there isn't a policy?

So, here's something I'm following up on.  The Mayor attended the Georgia Muni Annual Conference in Savannah this year.  Spent $1,700 on the trip.  Now, that's about all you see on the Purchase Order I have....amount for meals and hotel.  I Googled the meeting and got the agenda (love the internet), and lo and behold, many meals are included in the conference.

Okay, then I went to Orbitz  to determine how you spend $1,700 on a conference (just for hotel and meals, because that's what the PO says...mileage is probably under a different line item budget...for which there is one).  The most expensive hotel in Savannah is the The Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront, Autograph Collection, for about $349 per night.  Getting the picture here?

Now, HERE is where it gets interesting.  The Mayor attended another meeting, listed as the NLC in Washington DC and spent roughly $895 on that.  Again, the expense is listed as "hotel and meals"....no airfare, although that has to be somewhere else because he has some in-flight GOGO charges, and a $75 change charge for his airline ticket?  

Questions:  How do you spend half as much for a conference in Washington, DC than you do for a conference in Savannah?  What hotels did he stay in in each city?  How much did he really eat in Savannah?

Why do I care?  Once again it goes to Leadership...setting the tone for the "corporation" if you will.  If he is not setting the example to save money, then the rest of the group (with exceptions) follows his lead.  In short, if he "jumps off a cliff" I'm afraid some of the other members gladly follow.

I own my business and when I travel...it's Hampton Inns where I can get free breakfast and internet.  Why not the Ritz?  Simple:  IT'S MY MONEY I'M SPENDING, not yours.  Politicians love the concept of OPM:  Other People's Money.

Now that I know what to look for, I am making additional requests for the "fine detail" behind these expenses.  Now I want to see the receipts that support those Purchase Orders that have been provided.  Stay tuned.

I also need to know what some of the Purchase Orders have the City Clerk's signature on them, and some do not....but why is she signing them?  Shouldn't the City Manager be managing this?  Or the Assistant City Manager?  Or Gina Auld's office.

Before any "snarky" remarks are made, I need to find out who is looking at these expenses in detail.  Do we have a travel policy?  Do we have per diems?  Do we have anyone watching out for expenses? 

My understanding is that each Council Person audits each other.  Seriously?  If that is the case why do we have so many people "managing" the City?

Wake Up Kennesaw!