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The Martin County Taxpayers Association (MCTA) decided it was time to look at the commissioners’ use of tax money for their travel expenses for trips and conferences. It is not our purpose to single out any one commissioner but look at the practice in its entirety. We will offer guidelines and best practices for future commissioner travel spending and what needs to be done to implement it.
For the most part, we are pleased with just how little commissioners spent as a group with one notable exception which we will briefly delve into in this report.
We requested three years of travel and other individual commission expenses including those of former commissioners Doug Smith and Harold Jenkins. In both cases, the two truly treated county dollars as if they were their own. Parsimonious would be the word we use in connection with these former commissioners.
In many cases it appears both Smith and Jenkins just used their own funds at times to pay for travel and never sought reimbursement from Martin County. That goes far and beyond what should be expected of commissioners. We should complement Smith and Jenkins for their efforts in this regard.
MCTA also audited the current commissioners’ travel expenses. It is interesting to see what each asks to be reimbursed for. Commissioner Hetherington is a stickler for keeping track of her milage including locally. She uses her own auto and is reimbursed at the government per mile charge rate.
Commissioner Heard as chair is called upon to attend more events than other commissioners. When chair, a commissioner should be allowed to have a little more for their travel budget. Heard portends to be a fiscal conservative on the dais and follows through with her travel expenditures.
It appears that Hetherington always stays at the hotel where a conference is being held thereby saving the county added expenses of using Ubers to go back and forth. We see nothing in her spending that suggests a junket instead of county business.
In the past three years, Commissioner Ciampi has been to only one overnight conference. However, he has been to a multitude of local events. We would call him our least expensive commissioner when it comes to conferences and travel expenses. For those Martin County residents who are at local events, Ciampi is seen at dozens every year.
Commissioner Capps took his seat in November of 2024. He has gone to several conferences beginning in November of 2024. It appears he has taken classes offered both online and in person through the Florida Association of Counties.
It appears Commissioner Vargas enjoys attending conferences and travelling. Even if her amount of travel can be attributed to freshman enthusiasm, she is now in her second year, and it seems there has been no slow down in her travel. We ask that she show a little more restraint before thinking every opportunity to go somewhere should be explored.
For many years, there may not have been a reason to have a formal mechanism for how and when commissioners use county taxpayer resources. This can no longer be allowed to continue. There needs to be strict protocols on when, where, what, and how commissioners can spend taxpayer dollars on in this area.
The best way to do that is by limiting the funds available for conferences and travel. Each commissioner should have an equal dollar amount that they can spend for that purpose. The chair should be allowed an additional 15% because of their position and the need to represent Martin County more broadly.
Another protocol to be put into place is that commissioners should only go to events and conferences, especially those requiring overnight travel, that their commission assignments require. There is absolutely no reason for the taxpayers to pay for several commissioners to be at the same event. The policy will not stop individual commissioners from going at their own expense if they believe it is important enough.
Though not part of these recommendations, commissioners should not be representing Martin County on the same boards and organizations forever. By having term limits on the number of years that someone can serve, it would foster every commissioner having an opportunity to learn from these conferences which should be considered an educational event.
Travel arrangements are currently made by individual commissioners and their aides. Once arrangements are made, the county administrator perfunctorily signs off on the expense. That is rife for abuse.
All travel arrangements should be made by the Financial Services Department. A commissioner or aide would send a request to them outlining the purpose. That department would make all reservations for hotels, flights, any car rentals, and conference fees.
Any travel points would accrue to Martin County. Whenever possible, the policy should be that the commissioner must stay at the hotel where the conference is being held to minimize Uber and cab fees which ran into hundreds of dollars in one case. In the same vein, county Uber and/or Lyft accounts should be established in the county’s name that the commissioner may use. That would lessen the need for reimbursement to the commissioner’s personal account.
Whenever travelling by auto from Martin County, the commissioner should be required to use either a county owned vehicle or their own car at the federal government prescribed mileage rate. There is absolutely no reason to rent a car unless you fly. If the arrangements are made in time, county cars are always available.
Commissioners should be required to use their county-issued charge card (P Cards) for any miscellaneous expenses. The county receives thousands of dollars credited back because of their use. Commissioners are employees and should be required to do so to lessen county expenses.
Because of the growth in government, MCTA believes that what was once unnecessary must now have more formal guidelines. An expense item that in the past cost hundreds of dollars now is in the thousands. It is irresponsible of commissioners to say “tighten your belts” to staff and citizens and not do so themselves. Travel should not be looked at as a glamourous perk but rather an absolute necessity.
Commissioner budgets will do that. The amounts will still be in the thousands of dollars a year even if our recommendations are followed. Budgets administered by the Finance Department will keep track of individual limits and get the best overall deal for county resources.
MCTA will be looking to see whether our recommendations are adopted by the commission. If not, we may in the future publish commissioners individual spending invoices for travel as well as other expenses we deem excessive. The public does have a right to know. |
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Get Involved – We Need You!
Your 70+ year old, non-profit, taxpayer watchdog organization works with volunteers. There are many county meetings (usually lasting only about 1 hour) that are open to the public. We ask volunteers to attend just one a month (some don't even meet that often) and become the "expert" on that particular committee. You will pick a committee meeting that interests you. Then report back to the MCTA. You need not write anything except notes for yourself. If you are interested in serving your community without investing a lot of time, please contact Darlene for further information at 772-285-7447 or mctaxpayers1950@gmail.com
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Keeping an eye on how our tax dollars are managed
For over 70 years, this volunteer non-profit organization has been the "Watch Dog" for
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Dear friends and supporters of MCTA,
Thoughts on MCTA - Hear what others have to say about MCTA
Please share your thoughts about MCTA and why it is important to you - we'll be sure to include you here. Send us and email mctaxpayers1950@gmail.com. (put "Newsletter Thoughts" in the subject line)
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Martin County Taxpayer Association is an IRS registered 501 C3 – EIN: 59-0652292
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