Charlotte Observer reports City Council members’ on travel expenses. Who spent the most? Not Mayor Jennifer Roberts–who spent $11,000 on travel and expenses. The top spender was council member LaWana Mayfield:

Mayfield, who is the city’s first openly gay council member, attended six LGBT conferences and events, costing $4,100.

At least two of the events were organized by political organizations. It’s unusual for city officials to charge taxpayers for those events.

In December, Mayfield spent $1,664 in Washington, D.C. at the LGBT Victory Fund National Conference.

The LGBT Victory Fund in Washington D.C. is a political organization designed to elect LGBT candidates to local, state and national races. Mayfield’s campaign website says that she has been endorsed by the Victory Fund.

In May, she attended the Victory Fund’s National Champagne Brunch, which cost $372.

City policy does not address whether elected officials can be reimbursed for attending political events.

Mayfield told the Observer that the Victory Fund is a “non-partisan group and training organization that works in policy similar to the National League of Cities.”

Another big expense– the council annual retreat at the North Raleigh Hilton at a cost of $42,000.