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Recently several commissioners voted in favor and took a raise in thier compensation for automobile travel to 72.6 cents per mile.
The commissioners who supported and will claim this raise are
Peg Sweeney
Keith Nelson
Steve Raukar
Dennis Fink
Also voting in favor but eschewing the raise was Mike Forsman
Opposing the raise and eschewing it were Commissioners Kron and O'Neil
The CONUS rate is referred to and the rationale given by Mr. Nelson was that the CONUS rate was inadequate. The conus rate is linked here : CONUS RATE INFO
Several factors come to mind
1. Recent discussions by Commissioners highlight the need to place fiscal incentives for change to occur - this would seem to give incentive to drive more or at the very least not consider the costs of excessive driving.
2. Several Commissioners, in particular Mr. Nelson have much higher driving / claim records than others, even those in larger and more remote (to the County Seat) districts.
3. It is unclear which trips are truly county business and which are taken to promote the agenda of the particular commissioner. Are the trips taken in an effort towards doing the county's business in the most efficient, cost contained and environmentally aware manner? Are the trips of benefit to the county or the individual commissioner being reelected? Careful analysis of the claims must certainly be done by the administration to avoid any impropriety.
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