The policy states that county pool vehicles should be used for travel outside the county and mileage inside the county will not be reimbursed.
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners approved a policy Thursday governing the use of mileage reimbursement.
The policy states that commissioners will use a pool vehicle for travel outside the county and should they choose to use a personal vehicle for travel outside the county, their mileage will be reimbursed at the rate county employees receive, 19 cents per mile. Additionally, commissioners will not be reimbursed for county-business travel within the county.
The commissioners voted 3-1 in favor of the policy during a regularly scheduled meeting. Commissioner Robin Bartlett-Frazier voted against the motion and Commissioner Richard Rothschild was not present.
Frazier said she felt like this policy was directed at her as she regularly claims reimbursement for mileage, for travel both in and out of the county.
"I take that as a direct affront to me," Frazier said.
"When I saw this on the agenda, I thought maybe you were going to suggest raising the reimbursement rate from 45 cents to 55 cents like the federal government does," Frazier said.
Commissioner Haven Shoemaker said that he believed that when the board decided to do away with per diems and cars for commissioners, that mileage reimbursements were also eliminated.
When the board took office in December 2010, the commissioners immediately did away with perks, including per diems and commissioners being issued a county car.
"I think we left a loophole out there that probably should be addressed, the issue of mileage reimbursement," Shoemaker said in Thursday's meeting.
Frazier said that she wanted to see the results of a study currently being conducted in the county to determine if it's more cost effective to reimburse for mileage or to use a county pool vehicle.
She said she believes it is more expensive to pay insurance on and maintain a fleet of vehicles than it would be to reimburse mileage for people using their own vehicles.
"I would suggest that you haven't really looked at the numbers," Frazier said. "I think it costs the taxpayer less to pay mileage for personal vehicles."
Shoemaker said that part of the issue also has to do with one of the board's governing principals-servant leadership. In their list of 10 governing principals, the commissioners said they would lead by example and discontinue the practice of accepting per diem payments, cars, and other such perks.
Commissioner Doug Howard said the board should have the same policy as county employees.
"Last week, we were talking about having the same policies as employees...," Howard said. "Employees use fleet vehicles or get paid 19-cents a mile. I don’t know why we wouldn’t have the same policy as employees."
Howard said the policy won't affect him personally as he has never requested mileage reimbursement.
Frazier said that she is doing nothing wrong in claiming mileage. She said it's a personal choice, just like it is when others submit reimbursements for food.
She said that Howard submitted for reimbursment for a meal he had when he had a meeting with leadership from other counties.
Shoemaker said his policy suggestion was not personal. He said he believes the policy should be the same for county employees and commissioners.
"I'm not casting judgment on any mileage claims that have been submitted up until now," Shoemaker said. "I'm just saying that going forward this is what we should do."
Watch the meeting on the county's meeting video archive.
WatchingInMtAiry
3:46 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
See...is it that hard to say what you do and do what you say. I applaud the 3 commissioners for who finally stood up for the county tax payers in this matter.
romeo valianti
4:12 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Frazier, does not get it. She must follow the rule of law as all of us do. when you receive payment for commuting or personal miles, the payment for those miles must be reported on her W-2 annual wage statement as as taxable income which issubject to tax.
David J Iacono
4:16 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Three of the Commissioners showed leadership in putting the brakes on the abuse of travel reimbursements by Commissioner Frazier. One of the three wasn't Rothschild or Frazier. This is leadership by example where three of the commissioners are concerned about how taxpayer money is spent. The piggy bank is closed for Frazier's use. Time for her to put her hand in her own pocket.
Hugh Manatee
6:18 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
You can see the clip on www. eyeoncarroll.com. The last 5 minutes are must-see-TV.
Native
7:27 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
But you know she's right about the county vehicle costing more to run then paying a few cents milage. And Romeo, you're saying she was cheating on her taxes? Where's your proof of that?
Native
7:50 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
And another thing. I think it was rediculous that they even brought that up. Talk about a waste of time! Haven, you dropped the ball this time. Number one, as she said, Robin did nothing illegal or wrong in submitting for reimbursement for milage. And number two, as she also said, now she will be forced to use the pool car for her personal errands if she needs to in her travels. Remember, it's a part time job. You folks that have never held a civil service job don't realize it, but milage is reimbused for whatever trip is made for the job, in one's personal car. It's not uncommon at all. Another mountain out of a molehill, this is.
watchingfive
8:54 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Mr. Shoemaker, kudos to you for forcing this issue. You were right on the money and you continue to show leadership on this Board. I have to admit that Howard did as well this time as he pushed back on the sanctimonious Ms. Frazier. I wonder where Mr. Rothschild would have stood on this issue as he apparently also claims mileage. No matter. Three of the four present did the right thing, and finally the "professional" Frazier can stop milking county coffers for her personal errands.
Friedhard
9:25 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Terrific footage. Thanks for posting it, Hugh. Revealing. How anyone can take Frazier's side in this debate is beyond me. She clearly cannot see beyond her own self interest to the principle that she should abide by the rules that all other county employees must follow. All the prayers in the world have not revealed that principle to her.
S&W
10:15 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
You know I don't quite understand what is going on here. In private business milage reimbursement is common at whatever rate the feds allow. Where did the 19 cents come from? Anytime I travel for company business it is reimbursed and milage is paid. I have the option to claim milage or keep track of it and claim it on my taxes at the end of the year. I don't understand the part about being reimbursed for personal miles, what is that about?
Native
10:32 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
I don't understand either S&W. It's probably due to the hatred a few of the posters here have for the commissioners, mostly Mrs. Frazier. The rest of the county employees have milage reimbursed (as does every other goverment employee in the state), so why shouldn't the commissioners. They take meal stipends, so they should have the option for milage.
romeo valianti
10:27 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Native. I believe you can't read or you want to say something that is not in my blog. I simply said the IRS requires filing the payment of commuting mileage on tax forms. I never said I was privy to Frazier's tax forms. She and the County have an obligation to report that she was paid commuting mileage. That's the law!!
Native
10:29 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
But your comment has nothing to do with the issue. That's why I said it.
romeo valianti
10:34 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
There are County vehicles sitting on the parking lot for their use. County employees use those vehicles when going out to meetings. Why should the taxpayers have to pay mileage reimbursement when cars are available? Commissioners should be no different than County employees. That's what Comm Howard was trying to get across today. They should follow the same policies. If no cars are available, then it's understandable that they would be reimbursed business (not personal or commuting miles), but not when those cars are just sitting there.
Native
10:40 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
I agree that the cars can be used. But it is rediculous that a policy has to be enacted for this issue. Like Robin said, it's not always practical, so she submits a milage request. So what, at 19 cents a mile who cares? Much ado about nothing.
Bonnie Grady
11:38 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
See the sixth paragraph of the above article. Frazier states she has been reimbursed at the rate of 45-cents a mile since taking office in December 2010. Anyone who watches the video will hear her admit this. Meanwhile county employees are reimbursed at 19-cents a mile. What's fair about that? These reimbursement checks have added up to hundreds of dollars in extra compensation for Frazier every month. (And Rothschild too, by the way.) To see copies of the claims for yourself, click on the link in the fourth paragraph of the above article.
Buck Harmon
7:55 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
If I recall....Frazier was submitting reimbursement claims that did not include mileage readings from her vehicle.... that was bad...
Craw back into the mole hole native..
David J Iacono
8:19 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
The travel reimbursement issue is really an issue of leadership. At a time when the County is struggling to make ends meet financiallyand at a time when teachers have gone without a raise for 4 years, we have Commissioner Frazier hoping for a rise in travel reimbursement from $.45 to $.55 per mile. That's not leadership, that's bilking the taxpayers especially when regular county employees get only $.19 per mile.
The commissioners should be out in front saving taxpayers much needed funds. Kudos to Shoemaker, Roush and Howard on showing leadership on this issue. Shame on Frazier for showing only self-interest.
Buck Harmon
10:18 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
What was the reason that Rothschild was not in attendance...?
Bonnie Grady
11:33 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
Buck, he said at last Thursday's meeting that he was going to be out of town this week.
Judith M. Smith
12:25 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
First...I am NOT a hater...just because you think someone's actions are wrong, that does not mean that you hate someone...just that you do not think the action is right. I think the BOC did the absolutely appropriate thing and appreciate it. From the amounts of money being reimburses by the County to two of the commissioners, it almost makes it seem as though we are making a monthly car payment for at least one of them. There has to be an accounting of beginning and ending mileage for meeting the IRS rules for reimbursement...and a purpose for the trip, and if there is a meal that will be deducted, it has to be part of a business meal--not just eating a meal as part of an ordinary day's activities. Perhaps there should be a closer look at the expenses that have already been paid out and if they cannot be substantiated, they should be disallowed and be reimbursed by whomever took the illegal payments. It was almost embarassing to witness the display of Robin Frazier...she doesn't get it...reimbursement, yes....pathetic.
JoeEldersburg
4:22 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Frazier is pathetic on so many other scores, why not this one? To her defenders I ask them to name one thing she has ever initiated that has had 100% public support. Shame on Taneytown and the people in her district for sending her to represent them. She was just as awful as a Commissioner the first time around 10 years ago...we didn't need a reminder of what an embarrassment she is.