When Elk Grove City Council Members Want a Parka, Taxpayers Foot the Bill

By Connie Conley | April 25, 2018 |  

In a recent Elk Grove News article entitled, “Penny Beancounter - Minding the City of Elk Grove Store,” one expenditure, in particular, needed some explanation. It was $582.33 payable to Paula Maita & Co for North End parkas.

Asked for clarification Elk Grove city manager Manager Laura Gill responded, “Staff ordered five jackets, one for each Council member. Staff orders garments for council members upon request.” 

In other words, the city council got new jackets and you got the bill. 

This expenditure, according to Gill, was a request from the city council. Now given the fact that the city council doesn’t appear to know the saying “lean and mean” regarding spending taxpayer money and respecting our hard-earned dollars that keep the city functioning, their “sharpen your pencils” instructions to city staff are just empty words.

Recently, the Elk Grove City Council was considering putting a sales tax increase on the ballot. Spending money on luxury clothing items don’t go hand in hand in wanting to raise taxes, or does it? Was the Elk Grove City Council going to sell a sales tax increase with a photo op with all five council members wearing their taxpayer paid for parkas?

What’s next using the "give an inch take a mile” scenario which appears to be the new mantra with this city council? Flying in Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace to design wardrobes for the city council to wear when they are conducting the business of the city. Maybe this will help Elk Grove economic development director Darrell Doan and his city council bosses realize their pipe-dream of convincing high-end retailers to open shop in Elk Grove.

At a time when vital city services and programs like road maintenance are facing funding shortfalls, the city council should be looking at every way they can stop excessive spending practices. That doesn’t appear to be the case.

So now the question is: When public money is wasted, who speaks for the taxpayer?