by: George Eskola
Posted: / Updated:
Augusta, Ga (WJBF) Because Augusta is consolidated it’s been the practice for commissioners to attend state and national conferences for municipal organization and county organizations well that’s the plan this year, but commissioners are going to have to pad the travel budget, to do it.
Commissioners say traveling to state and national conferences is a good way to learn.
“This gives you the opportunity to go out to the state to the country to see what other people are doing and hopefully bring back information or give you better understanding how local government works,” says Commissioner Dennis Williams.
Commissioners are planning on attending two state conferences this year as well as the National League of Cities conference, and the National Association of Counties conference in suburban Denver.
“If you go to these conventions and you apply yourself appropriately and get the type of education that you need to run a municipal government then it’s a great thing,” said Commissioner Alvin Mason.
But there’s not enough money in the travel budget.
Commissioners are scheduled to vote Tuesday on adding at least $3000 dollars per member to the budget to attend these conferences.
Even as some taxpayers believe it’s so commissioners can have a vacation.
“Well, you can, look at it that way being that you don’t know if you know about what’s going on and the things that you do when you go to classes,” said Commissioner Dennis Williams.
“We get blamed for everything we do know and don’t know we go and try to get educated and someone to make a big issue about that I don’t know it’s like a lose, lose situation,” said Commissioner Mason.
Now this 30 thousand dollars plus wasn’t in the 2022 budget so commissioners plan to use contingency, there plenty there one point three million dollars was budgeted in the contingency account for 2022 in Augusta George Eskola WJBF NewsChannel 6.