THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 23, 1994 TAG: 9408230427
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
Virginia Beach is the only city in South Hampton Roads to give its constitutional officers a supplemental $300 to $350 a month for car expenses, a city analysis shows.
Chesapeake is the only other city locally that allows its constitutional officers to claim expenses for car travel. Those officials are reimbursed on a per-mile basis.
Virginia Beach's staff prepared the report for the City Council, which is set to vote today on whether to keep the allowances that began July 1.
Councilman John D. Moss has led the charge to cancel them, saying the officials have not proved they need the money for travel expenses.
There are five constitutional officers: sheriff, commissioner of revenue, commonwealth's attorney, the city treasurer and the clerk of the Circuit Court. They are directly elected.
The car allowances cost the city $18,600 a year. The council appropriated them, with little discussion, when it passed the city's roughly $700 million annual budget last spring by a single vote.
Vice Mayor William D. Sessoms says the money is principally to give the officials a bigger salary, not to pay car expenses. As the largest city in the state, Virginia Beach should pay its officials a top rate, Sessoms said.
``Basically it's a salary adjustment, no question about it,'' Sessoms said. ``These guys are doing a good job. I've never had anyone call me and complain about the job our constitutional officers are performing.''
Neighboring cities, Sessoms said, often pay constitutional officers something extra.
The state compensation board sets the salaries of constitutional officers, based on a city's population. Some cities supplement these salaries. Virginia Beach adds $13,762 to Commonwealth's Attorney Robert J. Humphreys' salary, $1,800 to Sheriff Frank Drew's salary, but nothing to the salaries of three other constitutional officers.
Until July, only Drew and Humphreys received a car allowance. The allowance is meant to cover in-town expenses. The officers still can file for out-of-town expenses on a per-mile basis.
City Treasurer John T. Atkinson said he deserved additional income, whatever its name.
``I think I should be supplemented,'' Atkinson said, noting that similar officials in Arlington and Fairfax counties are paid more. ``Whether you call it a car allowance, or a supplement, I don't think it's a big difference.''
Without the car allowance, Atkinson would make less than his counterpart in Norfolk, Joseph Fitzpatrick, who gets a $2,500 annual supplement.
Atkinson said the city has a history of using car allowances. In addition to the constitutional officers, 14 top city officials, including City Manager James K. Spore, receive car allowances ranging from $100 to $500 a month.
Councilwoman Barbara M. Henley said she was inclined to vote against continuing the car allowances. She noted that virtually none of the officers filed for mileage in the past, at the standard rate of 24 cents a mile.
Commissioner of Revenue Robert Vaughan said this was principally to avoid giving opponents ammunition in political campaigns.
``In 1985, I stopped taking in-town mileage because I could see it becoming a political football,'' Vaughan said.
Most cities provide their sheriffs with a city car. Virginia Beach does not. This is in part a reaction after the city had to pay a large settlement in lawsuit involving an accident in a city vehicle by then Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Sciortino.
Council member Louis R. Jones said he was inclined to leave the car allowances alone, at least for this budget year.
``The council made a commitment, and at least for this year, we ought to keep that commitment,'' Jones said. ``These (allowances) have been appropriated and people have planned on them.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphics
Who gets extra:
Sheriff
Commissioner of revenue
Commonwealth's attorney
City treasurer
Clerk of Circuit Court
How much:
$300 to $350 a month.
WHAT THEY GET PAID
STAFF
SOURCE: City of Virginia Beach
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
by CNB