THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 24, 1994 TAG: 9408240531
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
City Council agreed to continue paying the city's five constitutional officers car allowances, despite charges by some members that the council was engaging in ``political pork barreling.''
The seven council members who voted to continue the $300 to $350 monthly payments said the council had made a commitment and should fulfill it, at least through the current fiscal year.
The officers receiving the allowances are Sheriff Frank Drew, Treasurer John T. Atkinson, Commonwealth's Attorney Robert J. Humphreys, Clerk of the Circuit Court Curtis Fruit and Commissioner of Revenue Robert Vaughan.
The sheriff and commonwealth's attorney have received car allowances for several years; the other three officers were included in the fiscal budget effective July 1.
``If we take these away now, it would be a hardship,'' said Councilman William Harrison. If the council reopens discussion on car allowances, it should do so during the budget process next spring, members said.
The state pays the five constitutional officers a salary ranging from $79,560 for the treasurer to $88,718 for the clerk of the Circuit Court. The city has the option of supplementing the salaries.
In addition to the car allowances, Virginia Beach gives the commonwealth's attorney $13,762 extra annually and the sheriff $1,800 extra.
Councilman William D. Sessoms said constitutional officers are underpaid for serving the city of Virginia Beach, which has 400,000 residents. Councilwoman Louisa Strayhorn said more information was needed to justify taking away the salary supplements. Harrison said bonuses kept the best people on the job.
``The commonwealth's attorney has a very demanding job, and if we don't compensate accordingly, we won't get the best people,'' Harrison said.
The allowance supporters agreed the money was essentially supplemental pay, not car allowances. Sessoms said he should have named the supplements last spring when he included them in the city's annual budget.
Council members Robert K. Dean and Nancy K. Parker, who voted against the car allowances, said the council was giving an unneeded gift to political allies who did not need it.
``They didn't ask for it, it isn't required, this is political pork barreling, I'm sorry,'' said Parker, who noted that the increases amounted to an average pay increase of 4.2 percent.
Dean said it was ludicrous to consider these officials underpaid.
``I could suffer the hardship of making $83,000 a year, as the sheriff does,'' said Dean, as he listed the salary of each officer. ``I'm sure they would have to go hand-to-mouth if we take this away.''
Councilwoman Barbara M. Henley, who voted against the allowances, said the council in the past had set a specific policy not to supplement constitutional officers' salaries. ``This is a monumental policy change that deserves a great deal of discussion,'' Henley said. ``It concerns me a great deal, much more than the car allowances, I assure you.''
If these officers were compensated for mileage, they should be compensated on a per-mile basis and made to file mileage forms, Henley said. Parker and Dean noted that the council members must file such forms, if they wished to be compensated for mileage. by CNB