TODAY in SUPES: Board Approves an Increase to Supervisors’ Annual Journey Budgets | Misplaced Coast Outpost

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The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors at this time agreed to present themselves a bit extra money for annual work-related journey bills, the primary time that allowance has been elevated since 2016.

In a 4-1 vote, with Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone dissenting, the board authorised a 7.5% enhance to every supervisor’s annual travel-expense reimbursement quantities — boosting the per-supervisor whole from $10,300 to $11,072.50 — plus an annual $5,000 enhance for the supervisors representing the First, Second and Fifth Districts. Those three districts are a lot bigger than District 3 (the place the inhabitants is concentrated in Arcata) and District 4 (Eureka). 

The authorised will increase will take impact subsequent fiscal 12 months.

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell requested for this matter to be introduced ahead for dialogue. At at this time’s assembly she mentioned her journey bills are inclined to go over-budget every year, regardless of being “very conservative” along with her plans, and this 12 months is not any exception. 

“I am very active in my district, and it’s a very large district as well,” Bushnell mentioned. She famous that she’s already exceeded her allotted mileage reimbursement for the present fiscal 12 months, which doesn’t finish till June 30, and has exceeded that mark yearly. The scenario has solely been made worse by the current enhance in gas prices, she added.

The final time the county elevated supervisors’ journey reimbursement quantities, in 2016, the usual California authorities charge for mileage bills was 57 cents per mile, with $89 allotted for an evening’s lodging and $51 for meals per day. Those charges have since elevated to 72.5 cents per mile, $150 for lodging and $86 for meals, although not for native supervisors. So Humboldt County was overdue for an adjustment, based on Clerk of the Board Tracy D’Amico.

D’Amico mentioned she consulted along with her cohorts in different small, rural California counties to provide you with a listing of choices for the board to contemplate. (See yesterday’s board assembly preview for the total rundown of these choices.)

Board Chair Mike Wilson, who represents District 3, acknowledged the additional prices inherent in representing a bigger district and proposed the $5,000 enhance for districts One, Two and Five. He additionally steered an across-the-board enhance of at the very least 5%, plus an annual enhance tied to the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI),  to account for inflation.

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo noticed that one of these funds enhance tends to get “a lot of blowback” from the general public, however the work journeys in query enable supervisors to attend work trainings and meet with colleagues across the state to debate coverage issues.

“I just have really valued the opportunities to go and meet with folks outside of our community and learn how they’re doing things,” Arroyo mentioned. “I appreciate that the opportunity exists, and I just want to speak to its value as a way of bringing back information to this community to see how we can improve.”

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone mentioned he forgoes the annual California State Association of Counties (CSAC) convention, for which supervisors are given an extra $3,000 journey funds, in order that he can as a substitute use that cash for his in-district journey bills. And, noting the county’s present funds woes, he mentioned, “I’m willing to live within the amount that I’m currently allocated.”

He mentioned an extra $15,000 — $5,000 apiece for 3 supervisors — “doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but every little chunk adds up. So that’s my two cents.”

But the remainder of the board was in favor of will increase the journey funds. Wilson made a movement to that impact. In an effort to simplify the maths, First District Supervisor Rex Bohn steered changing the equation “5% plus CPI” with a flat 7.5% enhance for the upcoming fiscal 12 months. 

The remainder of the board agreed with that proposal — Madrone excepted — and the movement handed 4-1.