Unbalanced travel expenditures prompt City Council quibble (update: self-imposed limits)

First reporting, updates are at the bottom:

After discovering that Charleston City Councilman Jimmy Gallant had spent 28% of the 12-member Council's travel budget, council members proposed on Tuesday an ordinance amendment that would require them all to share the money equally.

The attempt to require equal sharing fell short with a 7-6 vote.

And now, back to Gallant.

Of the $18,000 2010 budget, Gallant spent $5,000. Interestingly enough, for the past two years, Gallant has taken more trips than any other council member. In 2009, he spent a whopping $7,794 of the $18,500 travel budget.

Judging from the expansive list of training courses completed on Gallant's city website, it's crystal clear that he's been a man on the move.

The Post and Courier has an in-depth article on the issue; read it here.

Update January 18:

The Charleston City Council's plan to share the travel budget proportionally has been rejected.

In response to the plan's rejection, a handful of council members have stated that they'll be imposing their own yearly spending limits. Councilman Aubry Alexander has even gone so far to say he may vote to eliminate all travel funding for the upcoming year.

The Post and Courier has the update on City Council's ongoing argument.

 

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