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Oceanside council takes 'credit' in different ways
By: DAVID STERRETT - Staff Writer | ∞
OCEANSIDE -- The five members of Oceanside's City Council each used a $5,200 annual budget for travel, business, telephone and office supplies in different ways last year, according to records obtained by the North County Times.
Mayor Jim Wood Jim spent $3,500. Councilwoman Esther Sanchez spent $1,575, Councilman Rocky Chavez charged $3,800, Councilman Jack Feller spent $5,300, and Councilwoman Shari Mackin charged $10,200.
Sanchez's expenses include about $170 in office supplies, $275 in phone bills and $240 for local events such as Police Department and chamber events. Sanchez also spent more than $800 for a trip to Washington, D.C., earlier this year to lobby legislators on behalf of Oceanside.
"I try to treat the city credit card as something sacred," Sanchez said. "I try to ensure that I'm not spending anymore than I should at the taxpayers' expense."
Wood spent about $1,500 on office supplies and items such as holiday cards, about $1,000 in phone bills and nearly $1,000 on events held by groups such as the Oceanside Museum of Art and Camp Pendleton.
Wood said his largest expense is usually travel, but that he didn't have to make any trips in the last year.
"I'm not excited about taking trips and if I can take care of it over the phone or by e-mail, I try to do that," Wood said. "I can also always assign someone else to go."
Chavez used about $1,000 to attend a California League of Cities conference in Monterey, $1,500 for events held by groups such as the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, $260 for phone bills and about $500 for office supplies.
In addition, Chavez spent $279 of city funds for a subscription to The Wall Street Journal.
"It's part of my education," Chavez said of the newspaper subscription. "It's important we know what is going on in business."
Feller spent $280 on phone bills, $1,000 on office supplies and about $1,100 to attend a California League of Cities conference in Monterey.
He used $2,500 to attend numerous events by groups such as the YMCA, Chamber of Commerce, North County Humane Society, Friends of the Mission and Oceanside Jaycees.
Feller also bills the city $50 every month for Internet at his house so he can log onto the city system and do work from home.
"I probably wouldn't have Internet if I wasn't a councilman," Feller said. "I didn't have a computer before joining the council."
-- Contact staff writer David Sterrett at (760) 901-4067 or dsterrett@nctimes.com.
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How the credit of Two Police Chiefs wrote on Aug 19, 2006 7:52 AM:Why does Oceanside pay for two poliec Chiefs. This is a waste of money! Tis Hadley security guard guy and the real Chief of Polcie McCoy. Let's have only one. Now that's money in the bank! What a waste of taxpayer money!
Jimmy the III wrote on Aug 19, 2006 7:58 AM:This is where the rubber hits the road folks. If our it council had as part of their monthly reporting from staff a ledger sheet type of report where our council could just look a the running tally of expenses and projections in the budget, including their own. Alot of the overspending could of been avoided. But this is not surprising in that normally the budget comes before the council but once a year, now its a two year budget cycle, so errors and misconceptions can take place if one is not paying close attention and one line item is council members budgetary allocations. As to the periodicals our library recieves those and it's only a few steps across the plaza to it from the Council members offices, maybe the council members could either recieve the paper first and pass it along to te public or visit the library and read it there. And why is it that many of these expenses are not covered by the salaries of the city council members already as almost all our Commissions and committees in the city are not paid and they do not have personal budgets for their needs and necessities for the duties they perform for and donate to the city? What's good for the goose is good for the gander!
Viva wrote on Aug 19, 2006 8:39 AM:Mackin needs to be packin'.
Leon wrote on Aug 19, 2006 9:40 AM:Wow. The nasties are also taking the knife to Hadley, too. Mayor Wood, is that you at 7:52 a.m.?
Top Cop wrote on Aug 19, 2006 9:40 AM:To how the credit of two police chiefs:The harbor is it's own entity. The police Department can't take control of the Harbor until Hadley retires. Then you will have to train ALL of the officers on boat saving techniques, scuba diving, paramedic skills. That will cost several hundred thousands of dollars BUT if that is what the citizens want, go for it. BUT dont forget when there are only 1-2 harbor officers patrolling the harbor now, when OPD takes it over there will be 4-5 officers down there which equates to more tickets, more arrests. Sounds good to me.
Office supplies? wrote on Aug 19, 2006 11:10 AM:"Office Supplies" seems like a "bucket" account for possibly other items. Let's see just what Office Supplies entails by itemizing the actual expense. Also, why isn't the council and mayor getting office supplies via the city accounts that are surely used by the rest of the city employees???
Trish wrote on Aug 19, 2006 11:15 AM:Feller spends $50 monthly for his internet connection. I wonder who he uses? Mine is a lot cheaper than that! Maybe he should educate himself on how to comparison shop. The city would benefit too. Feller gets smarter and the city saves $.
No Free Internet wrote on Aug 19, 2006 1:15 PM:Jack Feller give me a break. You did not have a computer until you joined the Council? What did you do, leech off other peoples like you do my tax dollars now? If that internet connection is used for anything but connecting to City Hall you are ripping off the tax payers. No one else is charging for their internet. What next, charging for the gas to go to City Hall? Other employers don't pay for people to get to work. Your Internet should be no difference. No free lunches for Mackin and no free Internet for you!
I agree with Top Cop wrote on Aug 19, 2006 4:58 PM:Right now it seems like there are no police in the harbor. We need better enforcement and this Hadley guy needs to go! Expand the real police to the harbor.
I disagree with Top Cop wrote on Aug 19, 2006 5:02 PM:Hadley may retire, but the officers in the Harbor will change patches and start to work for a living. No extra cost except to change patches. Two Chiefs is a waste of money and more bureaucracy! Also I have friends on OPD and many of them already scuba qualified and just about all of them can operate a boat and know the water. We would have bigger pool of officers to select from if they knew it was an assignment and not a terminal death assignment in the butt hole of Oceanside called the harbor!
Hadley does nothing! wrote on Aug 19, 2006 5:03 PM:That is why people like him! Good old Barney Fife in Oceanside Harbor RFD! Ha!
Busted wrote on Aug 19, 2006 5:20 PM:Way to go Esther..now if Shari would keep the cookie jar covered, us taxpayers wouldn't be paying for her freebies at restaurants. I find it hard to believe that if you're given a credit card to use, you wouldn't bother to check on the restrictions.
WSJ subscription? wrote on Aug 20, 2006 10:21 AM:Councilmember Chavez needs to spend city money for a subscription to the WSJ to learn about business? Maybe he should have gotten a bit more business education before trying (and failing) to run a charter school? Councilmember, your time would be better spent keeping in tune with your constituents via the NCT. At your own expense.
Losers! wrote on Aug 20, 2006 11:28 PM:Feller charges the city $50.00 for internet that I am sure NO ONE else in the family uses? Why provider charges $50.00 Jack? Are you nuts? Every heard of Net Zero - $9.99 a month - AOL is now free - cut the BS and save our dollars. Chavez - Spend more time in the Library! The paper is free there. And Mackin - you have simply LOST IT! How on earth can you spend $160.00 a month on phone charges - who you calling?
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