Poised to pass nearly $1 billion in annual budgets that have shrunk since introduced last month, Akron council members had two last-minute tweaks to approve Monday afternoon before putting the entire spending package up for a full council vote that night.
The tiny changes covered $20,000 — or two one-hundred-thousandths of a percent of all proposed spending in 2017.
But the first change (using some of council’s expense account to reduce water and sewer bills) drew so much discussion that the elected body never got around to talking about the second change (setting aside money to help children read).
Both eventually passed, along with the broader spending plans that night. But a handful of council members kept their voices low in the committee discussion while interrupting one another after it was proposed that $10,000 not spent on an annual retreat this year be used instead to help the city’s neediest residents with sewer and water bills through the Akron Cares program.
Some council members questioned the level of travel others claimed each year. Those who spent the most reminded the public why they use tens of thousands of dollars more.
“I’m not singling you out,” Committee Chair Mike Freeman, who claimed $250 in travel expenses in the past three years, said to Councilwoman Linda Omobien, who explained what the public got for her $24,426 in travel since 2014.
Omobien and Councilman Russ Neal together have accounted for more travel expenses than the other 11 council members combined. They said that’s because they serve on the National League of Cities and Ohio Municipal League, volunteering their time to study and learn best practices for governing.
“When we sit on those boards, we’re setting national policy,” said Neal, who spoke as a guest during the regularly scheduled budget and finance committee Monday afternoon.
“It’s a [benefit] for us to speak on behalf of not just Akron but the nation,” Neal said of the state and national organizations that explore and advocate policies that could help cities like Akron.
“When we bring that back, it’s not a cost, it’s an investment,” he said of the expenses incurred traveling to conferences and taking classes.
But if every council member took those trips, it would bust council’s $30,000 annual budget for travel.
Omobien said knowledge gained on the trips serves her colleagues on council and the city as a whole.
She’s not opposed to sharing how much she’s spent. To the contrary, she said she’s asked the mayor’s office to make all travel expenses public online. “I don’t mind telling the public when I’ve traveled. There’s no secrets about what I do for council.”
Travel expenses are granted by the president of council. Councilwoman Marilyn Keith shared a ledger listing each council person’s 2014-2016 reimbursements. They are (in order of most to least): Omobien, $24,426; Neal, $17,137; Rich Swirsky, $8,068; Tara Mosley-Samples, $7,988; Donnie Kammer, $4,027; Keith, $2,596; Veronica Sims, $1,621; Jeff Fusco, $1,568; Bruce Kilby, $1,387; Bob Hoch, $1,351; Zach Milkovich, $1,332; Freeman, $250 and Margo Sommerville, zero.
The proposal to shift $10,000 from council’s budget to the Akron Cares program was recommended by Keith, Kammer and Sommerville.
Keith said council members make trips without first asking if they are eligible for reimbursement. She took sides with Freeman, who said he reads enough literature from National League of Cities and Ohio Municipal League to save taxpayers the cost of paying for him to learn in person.
Freeman said during the public discussion that receipts for trips not ordered by council should not be picked up by the taxpayers.
“I don’t need to ask you for permission,” Omobien replied.
“I do feel that it’s admirable that they [Omobien and Neal] make it onto councils,” said Keith, who approves reimbursements. “But is that a prerequisite to travel? I think we’ll split hairs over that.”
Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @ABJDoug .
