Paid Vacation

Mr. Chair, let’s talk about the facts. On Saturday 6 March 2010 you left Jackson County and drove to Washington D.C. where you checked into the Omni Shoreham Hotel. You stayed four nights. You left Washington D.C. Wednesday 10 March 2010 and arrived back in Jackson County that evening.
The Jackson County Travel Authorization and Reimbursement Form shows that you claimed $522.17 for travel by private automobile and $154.00 for meals—for a total of $676.17. County Manager Kenneth Westmoreland signed for the expense reimbursement 15 March. I have a copy of the county check endorsed by you and deposited to the Wachovia bank. It is stamped Friday 2 April 2010 by Teller #70.
I have a copy of the bill from the Omni Shoreham Hotel for four night’s double occupancy as signed by you Mr. Chair and charged to a Visa credit card for a total of $1,050.92. My first generation copy of the original in Finance shows that it was time/date stamped “Apr 09, 2010”. Above the “total due” line a figure has been ‘whited’ out. And below the total due line are the figures $0.00. I have a copy of the county check reimbursing the credit card company in Delaware for $1,070.00. It is signed by Kenneth L. Westmoreland and countersigned by Darlene Fox.
I have a copy of an email from the Communications Director of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, a 501-C4 advocacy group, with the Board of Directors Expense Narrative and Reimbursement Form. Upon further investigation, Todd McGee, Communications Director of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners stated that “no member of the executive board was authorized to travel to Washington D.C. on these dates for any reason.” I also have records of other junkets that you have made.
Mr. Chair, we have a congressman who represents the 11th District in Washington D.C. We also have two U.S. Senators who represent us there. We have a state senator and a state representative that represent us in Raleigh. You represent us here in Jackson County. Why are we, the taxpayers paying for what appears to be a five day vacation for you, and whoever was staying with you those four nights at a luxury hotel and resort in Washington D.C.?