County to revisit per diem discussion

County commissioners last week defended their decision to increase travel funding for county employees, and plan to review the matter at their next meeting..

At the Feb. 7, meeting, commissioners chose to table further discussion of changes to travel funding until Commissioner Smokey Parrish is present.

The motion came after County Attorney Michael Shuler asked for guidance on the allocation of the new travel stipend for meals, $75 daily out of state and $55 daily in state.

It has been the board’s policy to allocate 18 percent to breakfast; 31 percent for lunch and 51 percent for dinner. Under the new policy, this would allow $13.50 for breakfast out-of-state and $10 in-state; $23 for lunch out-of-state and $17 in-state and $38 for dinner out-of-state and $28 in-state. Formerly, $7 was allocated to breakfast, $12 to lunch and $20 for dinner.

Commissioner Bevin Putnal noted that Parrish had initially requested the policy change. Commissioner Cheryl Sanders suggested the board wait until its Feb. 21 meeting, when Parrish would be present, to discuss the allocation.

Chairwoman Pinki Jackel expressed a desire to further discuss the per diem change. “I’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback, some (questioning) that we took this up in a special meeting. But if we need to have a public meeting, such as a regular meeting, on this, then I’m OK with that.

“I believe I asked you in that meeting if we could take this issue up before we considered it,” she told Shuler. “So you may have gotten me into trouble.

 “We do everything we do under the rules of the Sunshine Law,” Jackel said. “At the same time, it was a public meeting and I want to make that clear, at the same time, it was a special meeting.”

Jackel said she is now investigating the financial impact of the increased travel stipend on the county.

“I did not know what the financial impact to the county would be, when we took this up. I found out from Erin (Griffith, with the finance office) that she has figures for the clerk and the county, but not for the other constitutional officers, so I requested information from the other constitutional officers,” she said. “It might just be information that I can distribute to the rest of the board and we can take a look at that. We understand we are fiscally constrained. We understand we’re in a tough economy.”

Putnal said that “I know if you put me down there, it’ll break the county. I don’t think I’ve ever went anywhere or bought dinner ever from the county in 20 years.”

Sanders interjected. “You can look at that two ways, Mr. Bevin,” she said.

“I don’t think any of us want to do anything to burden the taxpayers. Would it be OK if we take a second look? Commissioner Lockley, what do you think?” Jackel asked.

“We already done voted on it,” replied Lockley.

“Let’s just hold off on this until (Parrish) gets back,” said Sanders. “There’s no meetings scheduled any time soon. We can get some more information because we may be fueling the fire.

“I get compensation when I go out of the county. There’s no way I get mileage to and from my house; a 47-mile drive. When you go out-of-state or go to a conference representing the county, you expect some kind of reimbursement for your services,” she said.

“Well, you’re not making a profit,” said Jackel. “You’re just recovering the cost of what expenditures are. It’s a reimbursement, not a stipend. We’ve been out beating the highways and byways for the county and I certainly feel like this board is very conservative in the things that we do to save the county funds. You learn a lot from other counties.”

Lockley added that “We be going out to better the county.”

The next meeting of the county commission is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 21.