In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place.
If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that!
You see, I'm in
the Red Queen's Race...
A Reimbursement Is A Reimbursement Is A Reimbursement…
By Janet Evans
Tuesday, Sep 23 2008, 12:05 PM
...and a secretary is always the first to go...
If you are an elected City Official, an elected School Board Member, or an elected Official of the State…a reimbursement is the same...although, actual amounts may differ.
What about regular employees of the state? Superintendents? Business Managers? HR people? Any staff from the top to the bottom who travel for business.
City Administrators? Planners? Building Inspectors? Health Department staff?
School Districts have their own reimbursement guidelines, as do our city employees. Here is the State of Wisconsin Pocket Travel Guide effective July 2008 for our state employees:
PocketTravel Guide 2007-2009
If our state officials are reimbursed for mileage, why shouldn't our city officials be reimbursed?
Elected officials or regular employees?
My opinion?
If you are using your own car I don’t have a problem with it. But I think the reimbursement in Franklin needs to be restructured from a lump sum to receipts and a detailed log. Annoying, yes, but it’s pretty standard to have to be held accountable for reimbursements. I think we would find out that some deserve to be reimbursed far more ...and others far less.
My Alderman should not be expected to pay calls on constituents and do city business on his own gas, should yours? The city engineer and planners have city cars they use.
Reimbursement for food? Not so much. You need to eat anyway.
Classes/conferences or functions to improve the city? As long as they are specifically for that purpose and not entertainment or just for a “goody bag,” then yes.
As far as the cuts of city staff, I question exactly who is going to do the work of the secretarial staff that is being cut. Clerical staff is always the first place to go when you need to cut…but administration seems to forget who is actually doing all of the work at city hall.
Okay, the benefits are going to be a savings. It’s already been stated the staff at City Hall was overburdened the way it was. What now? Will Temps be hired when it gets too overwhelming? You can’t have overtime. Are you saying those secretarial positions weren’t needed in the first place? Are you saying current staff wasn’t efficient and now all of a sudden they will be? I’m just curious…where is this work going to go?
That's my opinion...let's hear yours.
Common Council meeting is tonight at 6:30 p.m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agenda for Tonight's meeting
Mayor's Recommended 2009 Budget
Related reading:
Bullseye - Is Alderman Steve Olson Grandstanding, Again? - Fred Keller
Franklin Today - Positions Not To Be Filled In 2009 Budget, - Greg Kowalski
