DATE: December 3, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Board of Supervisors’ Travel Expenses
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Authorize approved travel expenses incurred by County Supervisors designated by the Board as a Member or Alternate Member to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Board of Directors and/or the Board’s voting delegate to the National Association of Counties (NACo) for County business related to CSAC and NACo, including County business related to CSAC and NACo subcommittees and State and Federal lobbying efforts, be paid through the general Board budget (Org 01100100; Account 7415);
2. Authorize approved travel expenses incurred by all other County Supervisors for County business related to CSAC, NACo, and lobbying efforts be paid through each Supervisor’s respective District budget (Orgs 01100101, 01100102, 01100103, 01100104, and 01100105; Account 7415); and
3. Authorize approved travel expenses incurred by County Supervisors for all other committee assignments be paid through each Supervisor’s respective District budget (Orgs 01100101, 01100102, 01100103, 01100104, and 01100105; Account 7415).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will clarify a previously established Board directive from 2017 and specifies how expenses related to CSAC, NACo, and lobbying efforts will be paid depending on whether or not the Board has formally designated specific Supervisors to represent the Board at CSAC and NACo.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose not to approve the recommended actions, and staff will continue to use the previously approved Board directive from 2017 to process approved travel expenses. However, language in the original 2017 directive has caused misinterpretations of the directive’s intent, which has led to staff’s aforementioned recommended actions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. There are sufficient appropriations allocated in the Board’s FY 2024-25 Org 01100100 for expenses incurred by the Board’s current designees to CSAC and NACo. There are also sufficient appropriations in all District budgets FY 2024-25 Orgs 01100101, 01100102, 01100103, 01100104, and 01100105, for travel related to CSAC, NACo, and other committee assignments. Expenses are paid through Account 7415 (Transportation, Travel, & Education).
DISCUSSION:
The Board of Supervisors travel throughout their Districts, the State, and the Country on approved County business, and may incur costs associated with this travel, including mileage, per diem for meals, and lodging. The County reimburses Supervisors for approved expenses where appropriate.
Each year, the Board appoints one (1) Member and one (1) Alternate Member to serve on the CSAC Board of Directors ahead of the CSAC Annual Meeting in the fall/winter. On October 8, 2024, your Board re-appointed Vice Chairman Mendes as a Member and Chairman Magsig as the Alternate Member to represent your Board on the CSAC Board of Directors. Additionally, the County is also a member of the San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of Counties (SJVRAC), a CSAC regional committee.
Each year, the Board also approves one (1) voting delegate to NACo ahead of the NACo Annual Business Meeting in the summer. On June 18, 2024, your Board approved the designation of Chairman Magsig as the Board’s voting delegate to NACo.
On February 6, 2024, your Board adopted changes to the County’s Federal Legislative Platform, and on March 5, 2024, your Board adopted changes to the County’s State Legislative Platform. While on County business related to CSAC and NACo, the designated representatives of your Board may participate in lobbying efforts on behalf of the County in support of the County’s Federal and State Legislative Platforms.
Attendance of CSAC and NACo-related conferences, meetings, and other activities, including lobbying, often requires travel to other parts of the state and country and may occur over multiple days. Approval of Recommended Action 1 will clarify that only your Board’s designated members for CSAC and NACo who incur travel expenses while on County business for CSAC and NACo, including lobbying efforts and any related committees, such as the SJVRAC, will have those expenses paid through the Board’s General Budget (Org 01100100; Account 7415).
Approval of Recommended Action 2 will clarify that should any Supervisor who has not been designated by the Board for CSAC or NACo, but wishes to attend any related conference, meeting, lobbying effort or otherwise, on County business, in relation to CSAC or NACo, will have their approved expenses paid through their own District Budget (Orgs 01100101, 01100102, 01100103, 01100104, and 01100105; Account 7415).
Members of your Board are assigned to serve on multiple other boards, commissions, and committees. Travel related to these assignments are typically to areas local to the County or Central Valley, and do not typically require travel over multiple days. Some travel may also be reimbursable through the agency of which the board, commission, or committee belongs to. Approval of Recommended Action 3 will clarify that any travel expenses incurred by Supervisors related to these committee assignments will be paid through their own District Budget (Orgs 01100101, 01100102, 01100103, 01100104, and 01100105; Account 7415).
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #6, October 8, 2024
BAI #33, June 18, 2024
BAI #5, March 5, 2024
BAI #5, February 6, 2024
BAI #31, November 14, 2017
CAO ANALYST:
Ahla Yang