Scherman’s Mileage Expense Reports Said To Be ‘Adequately Documented’
Though rife with illegible writing and void of detail, Elk Grove Council member Sophia Scherman’s mileage expense reports have been deeme...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2009/09/schermans-mileage-expense-reports.html
Though rife with illegible writing and void of detail, Elk Grove Council member Sophia Scherman’s mileage expense reports have been deemed "adequate” by one Elk Grove city official.
The question of Scherman’s expenses came up during last week’s city council meeting when a constituent asked her if she thought it was appropriate to seek reimbursement while other public employees were subjected to furloughs. Scherman curtly responded she had nothing to hide.
Subsequent to that, it has been determined that Scherman is eligible to receive a $100 Per Diem for her membership on the Sacramento Sanitation District board of directors. Scherman was also paid by the city for her mileage to and from these same meetings.
Scherman non-responsive to question
Scherman, a third term council member, has not responded to an e-mail question sent yesterday asking if she had accepted payment from both the city and the sanitation district for the same activity. The saniation district has not responded to request seeking verification as to whether or not Scherman has accepted the Per Diem.
Responding to an e-mail request seeking clarification on the requirement for the council member expense reports was city finance manager Rebecca Craig who wrote the following:
The City does have an administrative travel policy with an associated expense reimbursement form (attached) (see image at beginning of story) applicable to employees. The policy does not apply to Council members as they are governed by Resolution 2006-295 and Government Code § 53232.3(d)), noted at the end of each meeting agenda. The Council members’ reimbursement requests are infrequent and adequately documented. Neither the desire nor the need for a form has been presented; however, we can easily provide one if that is the direction of council.
However, a review of Elk Grove City resolution 200-295 (section VIII (b)) states that [council] "members shall complete and submit a City of Elk Grove Travel and Expense Report ("Form") within a reasonable time after incurring the expense and, in any event, no later than 30 days thereafter."
EGN has e-mailed the city staff earlier this afternoon seeking clarification on the matter but as of posting time has not received a reply.
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13 comments
Who cares- boring.
Anyone who has any interest at all in the integrity of their elected body needs to care. Only those associated with (on a routine basis) or who maintain a sense of entitlement for perks at the expense of the tax payer would see this a boring. This most recent attempt by Ms. Scherman to pad her purse at the expense of the constituents - to whom she has been entrusted - is far from boring... and much, much closer to pathetic.
Phillip Stark
Old Town
Let's see, $800 for six months or $1,200/yr for ten years. Hmmmmm, $12,000.
Yeah, I care.
GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and this ain't them.
Hang your head in shame Sophia. Resign.
Oh, and you said you would publish it in the paper. So, can we expect an article in the Citizen tomorrow?
All taxpayers should care. The money is coming out of your pocket. Are you saying it's OK for politicians to take what they want, and when they want it?
If nobody cared, then they would steal everything they can, including the kitchen sink, if they could.
They love it when people don't care. They love nothing more than apathy and ignorance. They adore ppl who don't care.
Boring?
In the grand scheme of the universe, perhaps.
Meanwhile in our own Smallville, Elk Grove that is, it certainly points to the integrity of at least one of our elected officials.
Who is to say these sort of alleged actions would not at some point in time keep her from accepting bribes, kickbacks and the such.
Boring to you perhaps, but a good gauge to how she may be conducting business on your behalf.
No CPA who audits would approve this documentation. It would be a certain substantial finding and a write up in the management letter, which in this case the council themselves would have to answer. Now wouldn't that be rich!
Or was it, "Just push it through," because of political pressure. This has been going on for years. This is just one isolated incident; just one reimbursement.
For example, just like when "we" citizens paid the closing costs on former City Manager John Danielson's house ($6K) from a check he wrote out and signed himself.
And mind you this is after he asked the city to give him a loan for his house in Silvergate. The council voted yes, but we pesky citizens stepped in and said, "We are not in the home mortgage business."
A loan, by the way, that would have been less than the prime interest rate at the time.
How many the foreclosures would have like to have the city refinance their homes for them?
And the clerk who gave us the information was fired the next day after citizens went to podium just like Steve Lee did. (Thank you Steve and you are anything but boring!)
And when we asked for all the checks written from that special little checkbook, suddenly it no longer existed. And even more rich, the council didn't even know that about the special little checkbook or that we paid the closing costs on Danielson's house.
Boring? Yeah, it is really boring when taxpayer money is misused. Boring and illegal!
Boring??? Are you kidding? Small potaotes for the state legislatures perhaps, but not for a local government. These are YOURs and MINE tax dollars being used with little to backup documentation....Would never, ever pass a state audit, IMO. It really upsets me that if Sophia gets per diem to attend meetings, that she would think it's OK to also put in for mileage. This just isn't right. And if she THINKS it RIGHT, then what else does she think is RIGHT? I think her perseption of RIGHT isn't aligned with my perseption of RIGHT. Look, I don;t have to be right, but this is clearly a very "stinky" issue...why hasn's Sophia responded? I thought she said at the council meeting she had nothing to hide...well, if she is confident in her actions; if she believes she is right, then step up and explain yourself. Her lack of communication leads me to wonder about her intention/state of mind/ethics...IMO
How ironic....check out the link with the EG City resolution...scroll to the bottom of the document....look who signed it as a representative of the council.... LOL!!
If it wasn's so darn funny, it'd be pathic!
It appears that the resolution linked to the article requires council members seeking reimbursement for travel/expenses to submit a city "travel and expense claim" form no later than 30 days after incurring the expense. That is in the resolution at paragraph VIII(b). Maybe getting paid for mileage at IRS rates is not "reimbursement"?
10:21
If it is not a reimbursement, what would you call it?
I do find this story boring from the standpoint of diagreeing that they should receive anything to begin with. I'd like to see them donate their stipend to the poor and needy. This is public service, no time for handouts.
Let's get rid of them all. I am all for term limits.
Throw them all out. They know they've been stealing from the cookie jar. Only when caught, they act surprised and say they thought it was OK, and feint ignorance and surprise.
They are crooks and want to be elected so they can get closer to the taxpayer cookie jar.
It's like flies to poop. They can't resist the stuff.
Hello?
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