Braintree Councilors Consider Heightened Travel Oversight

Councilor-at-Large Leland Dingee, before he retires at the end of the year, has vowed to work with his colleagues to implement increased oversight of the travel expenses of the Town Clerk, Town Council and Clerk of the Council.

Dingee said he was prompted to pursue the effort by a question from a resident, who recently asked about travel guidelines – an inquiry that Dingee found himself embarrassed not to be able to answer.

"We should know upfront" what people are spending money on, Dingee said. "We owe this to the public to avoid any sense of questions in the future."

A preliminary audit compiled by Town Auditor Eric Kinsherf showed an increase in travel-related expenses for personnel under the council's purview over the last several years. It also demonstrated a lack of oversight, with some trips missing a signature from the council president and details such as conference descriptions, number of days attended and the value to the town.

Town officials use their travel funding – appropriated as a line item or multiple line items within each department's budget – for various purposes, such as councilors attending the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association conference or the Town Clerk attending national and international clerk association meetings.

Travel-related expenses within the Town Clerk's office rose from $672 in fiscal year 2007 to $1,304 in 2012 and $4,166 in 2013, according to Kinsherf's audit. Spending in the current year was at $1,654 when the report was compiled this fall.

Expenses also increased under the council budget, which includes the Clerk of the Council. In fiscal year 2009, the first full year the council existed, members spent $1,555 on travel and related items. That went up to $2,995 in 2013 and was at $449 year-to-date.

"We do have to look at this going forward," Councilor Henry Joyce said.

The Committee on Ways & Means Tuesday night sent the measure to the Committee on Ordinance & Rules for shaping into a formal council rule.

Councilors will meet Monday evening, Nov. 25 to consider mandating detailed travel plans for its supervisory areas for the upcoming fiscal year during its annual budget process each spring.

The council votes on the budget of every town department, including the Town Clerk, but it does not manage the clerk's office on a day-to-day basis, Councilor John Mullaney said, adding that if other department heads are not required to present detailed plans for pre-approval why should the clerk?

"I don't want the Town Clerk to be held to a higher standard than any other officer," Mullaney said. "Maybe this is something we should be doing throughout the town."

Ways & Means Chair Paul "Dan" Clifford said he disagreed with Mullaney's assessment, arguing that other department heads are not appointed by the council and not under its purview. He also pushed back against the idea that the proposal was singling out anyone.

"This whole thing is uncomfortable about targeting the Town Clerk," Clifford said. "Other folks took other trips."

Councilor Tom Bowes suggested the council take up the issue when it begins a new two-year term in January and reviews its internal rules with a new composition of councilors.

During fiscal year 2013, the council budgeted the Town Clerk $2,345 for out of state travel and $600 for dues, memberships and subscriptions. The clerk overspent that amount on travel by $1,221, according to the audit, but like all department heads is allowed to move money from other line items within his overall budget as long as he does not go over in total.

Town Clerk Joe Powers said he keeps records of all expenses and would provide that information to the council if and when he was asked.

"I've always been prepared to present every detail of every line item," Powers said. "That practice will continue."