AWA's Dunn criticizes story on her daily expenses

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 06:21

AWA's Dunn criticizes story on her daily expenses

Amador County – Amador Water Agency board Vice President Debbie Dunn this week criticized newspaper coverage of her expenses since taking office in December 2008, saying one piece had factual errors. The Ledger Dispatch received copies of board expense accounts, and noted that Dunn was getting 10 daily stipends a month, when the board had acted to reduce board expenses to 7.5 stipends a month. Dunn in a letter to the editor reprinted on Amador Community News online said comments in the story were from a “disgruntled employee.” AWA Board Clerk Cris Thompson said Dunn in a newspaper article called her a disgruntled employee. Thompson said she simply asked the board president to sign off on Dunn’s expenses because they exceeded the budget that the board adopted for itself, giving AWA board members the equivalent of 7.5 reimbursable workdays a month. Thompson said Condrashoff signed off on the expenses. Thompson said the bottom line is that when the agency is “looking at every dollar,” the board should pay more attention to meeting its budgeted expenses. Thompson said the newspaper article did have some errors, such as saying Dunn claimed reimbursements for Sober Grad and crab feeds. Board members receive a stipend of $119.80 for a day’s work representing the AWA at meetings or other functions. That can include more than one meeting in a day. Copies of the expense account show Dunn is the only board member to claim 10 stipends a month for every month since January 2009. Dunn’s stipends over 19 months totaled $22,700. She also claimed $3,120 in travel expenses, and $1,024 for other or miscellaneous expenses, for a 19-month total of $26,900 in expenses and stipends. She led the board in all categories. President Bill Condrashoff claimed $18,600 for meeting stipends, including two days in December 2008. He also had travel expenses of $1,800, for a total of $20,400. Director Terence Moore in the 19-month period received $15,600 in stipends, $2,200 in travel expenses, at a total of $17,900. Director Don Cooper claimed $13,400 in daily stipends, plus $2,800 in travel costs, for a total of $16,250. Director Gary Thomas had total expenses of $16,700, including $15,100 in stipends, and $1,600 in travel expenses. Thomas averaged 6.3 days of paid stipend a month over the 19-month period ending this July. In that same period, Cooper averaged 5.9 stipend days a month, Moore averaged 6.9 days, and Condrashoff averaged 8.1 days, not including two days claimed in December 2008. Dunn averaged 10 days of paid stipends a month in those 19 months, beginning in January 2009. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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