Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines says the City Council’s $81,000 in travel expenses during the current term suggests ‘that it makes it seem to be a larger expense than it really is.’
But the bottom line remains that the W-S council spent way more than ‘peer cities’ Greensboro ($33,000) and Durham ($63,000).
But here’s the real bottom line:
The cumulative tally of the travel expenses comes in a year when Winston-Salem officials will likely raise property taxes and are up for re-election. Also, during a budget meeting scheduled for Monday, the council members will discuss possible city job cuts, including fireinspector positions, as well as proposals to cut department budgets and raise fees paid by users of city services. Inspection fees, for example, are among the proposed increases.
The biggest spender was council member James Taylor:
Taylor spent a total of $3,534 on travel during fiscal 2010-11, his first year in office, exceeding the $2,368 allotted budget. The next year, he traveled to Phoenix and twice to Washington, spending $5,552 and exceeding that year’s $4,975 budget. During this fiscal year, Taylor has gone to Boston, Los Angeles and Washington as well as Raleigh and Charlotte. Again, he exceeded the budget, spending $6,321.
In Gboro the big spender is council member Dianne Bellamy-Small, who has spent almost $7,000 during the current fiscal year and $25k since 2007.
Now for some positive news –in W-S council member Wanda Merschel has had no travel expenses in the last two years, while in Gboro Sen. Trudy Wade — a City Council member until January —“did not spend a penny of her annual allotment.”
