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.