Elk Grove City Council Member Sophia Scherman Criticized For Travel, Courier Expenses
Asked to 'tighten belt' during difficult economic times During Wednesday night's Elk Grove City Council meeting, cou...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2009/09/elk-grove-city-council-member-sophia.html
Asked to 'tighten belt' during difficult economic times
During Wednesday night's Elk Grove City Council meeting, council member Sophia Scherman was criticized for reimbursement of travel expenses that were not sought by other council members.
During the consent calender portion of the meeting, Elk Grove resident Steve Lee said he had inspected public records and found that Scherman was reimbursed for mileage and was curious as to the nature of the travel.
"Ms. Scherman had a bill to be reimbursed for over $818 for six months of travel expeses," Lee said. "No one else on the council had any kind of expenditure near this sum of money."
A public emplyee himself, Lee said that many public servants were suffering during the recession and called on Scherman to be a role model during the economic crisis. "We all need to tighten our belts," Lee said.
Scherman responded that there was nothing improper about her reimbursement and had nothing to hide.
"I would be happy to show you," Scherman said. "I'll put them in the newspaper. I have nothing to hide."
A review of the forms showed the travel reimbursements were primarily for automobile mileage to and from various meetings Scherman attended on behalf of the city. Scherman's reports were hand written with numerous corrections and in many places illegible.
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Asking for reimbursement for your mileage may be allowed, but common sense would be that unless each EGCC member did so I believe I would just leave that one out. I thought it was interesting that you even included trips to the Senior Center and Old Town, places you probably pass by each day running your personal errands. As for the Courier delivery, Unacceptable! Don't penny us to death Sophia, times are tough!!
With computers and official expense forms, who put in expenses like this. This is bearly legible.
Folks, Sophia has been nickle and diming the taxpayers to death for 10 years. How many meals a week is on the city manager's credit card for "meetings" that are held at restaurants instead of at city hall.
My gosh, the woman can't even make her own cup of coffee. She gets a "staffer" to do it for her! Outrageous!
What kind of expense report is that?
Doesn't the city even have a halfway decent expense reimbursement form?
Amateur hour expense accounting at best.
I think the original quesion/concern raised by the citizen at the council meeting had more to do with "reasonablness of the expenses". Seeing as most government workers have been furloughed; would it be too much to ask these local representatives to absorb their mileage expenses? Also, it was pointed out that no other council member was submitting mileage claims but presumably attending just as many meetings as Sophia. Also, Sophia has her agenda packet delivered by courier twice a month!! What the h@ll. At 41.00 per pop, that almost a 1,000 per year of tax dollars that should not be being spent. You mean to tell me Sophia doesn't pass by Laguna and Laguna Spring at least five times a week? I have no idea if the mileage claim is accurate or not..I think the idea of even submitting a mileage claim is rediculious (absent extenuanting circumstances).
Sophia, I think you have some explaining to do. I also think the city's finance director has some explaning to do regarding the process involved in verifing requests for reimbursements.
Here's the thing. The council approves the warrants, meaning reimbursements just like this, during council meetings on the consent calendar.
So in reality, they are responsible. That good old buck once again stops at the top!
Sophia Scherman has been questioned many times regarding her expenditures (fax machine at home that "we" paid for, Internet service, computer and much more over the years when she has an office at city hall that she goes to almost every day).
I wonder what Davis, Cooper, Hume and Detrick have to say about their vote to approve reimbursements just like this?
Well, Council members, do you have a comment here?
I remember when Cooper demanded reimbursement for going to school a few years back- Leary too. The nerve.
Do the citizens still pay for Scherman's fax, internet, and home computer? That's outragous!
Between these questionable reimbursements to the millon of dollars paid to her friend Danielson upon his "retirement" Scherman should be recalled...this is just unacceptable behavior for a council member. Remember, these are our tax dollars and they are to be spent wisely.
It used to be public service meant giving to one's community... not taking from it. Seeking mileage within the city in which an elected serves just seems wrong somehow. Now, were Ms. Scherman to drive to Sacramento, Stockton or an area outside of the city limit I may be inclined to defend her request for reimbursement. But to attend a function, as an elected councilman, in the city she has been elected to serve, seems inappropriate and in poor taste -no matter how 'legal' or justifiable it may be. If she is really sincere and her true motivation is to 'serve this community' and not herself, she'd refund any mileage expense paid to her for inner-city travel these past 9 years.
Phillip Stark
Old Town Elk Grove
How can she or anyone else justify 50 trips to Sacramento for Sewer Board meetings when the report covers only five months and they meet twice a month??? That math just doesn't even come close to adding up.
Many of the council members received per diems for attending regional meetings which is why they don't turn in mileage.
For example, Pat Hume receives $200for every RT Board board meeting. This is public record.
So does Ms. Scherman receive one for the Sanitation Board or not? If not, she could justify the round trip mileage to downtown Sacramento.
After one email to Sanitation Board staff financial officer, it was confimred that Ms. Scherman receives a $100 per diem per meeting. Per diems are to cover "per day" costs which would certainly include mileage to the meeting.
With that being said, I think Ms. Scherman should explain why she bills "us" for mileage to Sanitation District meetings.
In light of what she said at the council about having nothing to hide, I think this is a fair question.
The nerve of Sophia taking a $100 milage fee at the same time she raises bus fare to Sacto. What will it take to recall this pariah!!??? Her sense of entitlement is just repugnent and reprehensible. On a diferent note, who caught how Hume opposes a city charter that establishes 7 city council districts. Also, did you catch how the council totally opposes any 2/3 majority requirements on their decisions? Every Elk Grove citizen has a responsibility to get involved in the city charter process. DO NOT LET THE STATUS QUO CITY COUNCIL DICTATE HOW OUR CITY CHARTER GETS CREATED!
Look people, clearly these elected, "Leaders" are scamming the taxpayers. If they could, they will ask taxpayers to pay for everything, and I mean everything they can get away with.
They are nothing but opportunist looking for a way to ripoff hard working citizens off.
All these comments are irrelevant. You PEOPLE elected them! HELLO?
True, the people elected them, but once they have the power, they take full advantage of the taxpayers. This is something the people never asked for, to be used.
What it boils down to is this, the elected folks are in it to take care of themselves and their personal interests.
Has anyone looked into the meeting Gary Davis had with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee while on the Cap to Cap trip paid for by the City?
Has he reimbursed the City for expenses related to the real purpose of the trip?
Why do people elected to office seem to think they become some form of royalty? We need to ban elected officials from participation in pension plans. Why should a part time city council person rack up years of time in CalPers that will count if they ever hold another government job.
Letting elected officials receive retirement benefits while voting on the terms of the plan is wrong. These people are suppose to be part time public servants and it is not a career.
Elk Grove is a real joke. Reminds me of Stockton.
Combine hicks, old boys and ghetto people and that is what you get.
I'd like to know more about the Gary Davis connection with campaigning while on Cap-to-Cap. This is plain illegal and unethical. The Scherman expenses are not illegal, just smell bad.
I think billing for mileage might be considered reasonable to downtown Sacramento to regional meetings if no per diem is received, but a 2.6 mile round trip to the Senior Center?
Billing for mileage for weekly briefings with the city manager to a restaurant for meals the city covers as well? Why not meet at city hall for your weekly meeting?
And if you receive a per diem from a regional board for meetings, no way should you also bill the city for mileage. That is double dipping. And so then we taxpayers are paying twice!
What about the Sacramento County Library JPA? There was a scandal on this very thing to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our libraries are hurting and this may be one reason why. Ms. Scherman is on that board as well and she looked the other way.
what is double dipping?
Double dipping is a term used for "getting paid twice."
For example, if an elected receives, from a regional board, a "per diem" to attend a meeting, by definition a per diem to cover "customary expenses" such as mileage and then the elected turns around and bills their city for mileage for that same meeting is what some call "double dipping,"
I guess it is up to the elected's own conscience to justify taking the per diem and then billing their constitutents for the mileage as well.
Pat Hume and Steve Detrick are in the process of setting up a full audit of city expenses. This handwritten, chicken scratch, with no dates, purpose or destination in form of documentation that Sophia turned in would be an auditor's dream.
Maybe it's time to bring in the State Auditor as well.
6:03 p.m. A politician with a "conscience." Is that an axymoron? Detrick and Davis are the only ones who even resemble having a conscience.
Hume and Scherman are two peas in a pod. Have you noticed how they echo everything the other says?
Maybe it's that Scherman reminds Hume all the time that she is the one who appointed him to public service in the first place. So do we have Scherman to thank for Hume being all the city council?
As the saying goes, "Paybacks are a BI!"
In my book "double dipping" is dishonest to say the least! And yes, I have noticed the Scherman-Hume thing also. If I remember right, at the last CC meeting when Sophia was criticized she said her books were open, but to date have not heard a word from her. Wonder why? As for the expense scribble sheet she turned in with no dates, locations, etc., that should have been refused for reimbursement. Why was it accepted?
Right on 8:51 p.m. Seems a lot of people are catching on and it is about time.
The very night Hume wassworn in, Scherman said she felt it was because of her appointing him to the planning commission and that was why he was now a city council member.
Her ego is bigger than her hair. I wonder how Hume feels about her taking the credit for his being elected?
And now it seems they have formed an alliance. Hume is always leaning over and talking to her and then she tries, albiet miserably, to repeat what he just told her. It is almost funny to see her squirm and then watch Hume's reaction when she gets it all wrong.
Sady though, watch for Hume to defend Scherman's double dipping. After all, she is telling everyone that Hume is going to nominate her for mayor next year.
God help us if Sophia Scherman is Elk Grove's Mayor for the fourth time. Where are those recall signs (even though her name is spelled wrong)?
Recall may be the least of her worries. If the state dept of audits becomes involved, it may be ugly for Scherman. If she has been accepting per diem AND asking for mileage reimbursements, she could have a huge bill to repay before she is investigated by state auditors. Perhaps she should consider stepping down to save us all from the embrassament of being investigated once again by the grand jury or even worse. Also, why would our city finance dept ACCEPT such a request for reimbursement lacking any more information (exact date, place, reason and purpose) for these expenses. It appears she wrote this request at the end of a 6 month period..I believe it is customary to submit reimbursement claims on a monthly basis...and that the report is completed at the time of the expense...not a "guessamite" or estimate done 6 months later...but exact dates & reasonable backup documentation. Poor Sophia, her lack of education appears to have reared it's ugly head again.
It's not her lack of education, it is her sheer greed.
Come-on 2.6 miles to the Senior Center. And 1.6 miles to Old Town. Give me a break! What is the $600 per diem she receives really used for then?
Are we really sure those trips to Old Town weren't to have her hair done; hence why no dates so that we can match them up with the Old Town Foundation meetings?
Anyone that would bill the taxpayers for 1.43 and .88 respectivefully would bill for any little thing they can.
Please folks, all those pennies you have in jars in your house, let's all bring them to the next council meeting and give them to Sophia so we can save the taxpayers some money because Sophia sure isn't!
And this is just her mileage for the last six months. We have had 10 years of Sophia Scherman and her special recordkeeping. Can you imagine what she has billed for (and gotten away with) over the last ten years?
Audit anyone!
Anyone notice the lack of interest in Mr. Davis and his city expenses
related to the Congressional Campaign (ie: Cap to Cap)?
That is interesting in its self...
Hmmm
There were lots of side bar meetings at Cap to Cap. Give Tim Murphy a call. He was this year's Cap to Cap chair and set a lot of them up.
If Gary Davis used his "free" time wisely to have other meetings as well(which there is a lot of for sightseeing, networking, shopping etc.) rather than make a special trip back to Washington, D.C., that is good time management and use of taxpayer funds.
You have made the point 10:31, personal interests at taxpayers expense. Use your current elected office and the perks of that office to seek even higher office with more perks yet.
11:15 a.m. Would you like to know what other special "meetings" other had including Hume in support of Dan Lungren. Isn't that what you are driving at here? Very transparent.
GREED-GREED-GREED.
I guess public service means to take from the public, so they can service themselves.
All meetings by all electeds not related to City business should be disclosed.
I have no problem with skepticism and scrutiny. But I must say, some complaints seem very selective in the target.
All council members reimbursements need to be scrutized and reviewed as well as the process used to reimburse. Our finance dept should be ashamed and held to a higher standard...when handing out tax dollars, care should be taken to ensure reasonable, appropriate and sustainable paper trail....sophia might not be the only one scamming the public...let's shine the light on all the reimbursements.
3:05,
Don't excuse bad behavior by citing bad behavior unless you want to expose the obvious double standards you seem comfortable with.
It is the first stop on the Hypocrisy Express...
4:33 p.m.
We all see it for what it was.
It's the Leary game here, "Take the focus of off Sophia by putting it on Hume or Davis."
That didn't stick. Next?
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