Mesquite officials investigating city employees’ taxpayer-funded junkets to New York

by PegNews wire

MESQUITE — Mesquite City Manager Ted Barron sent out a written statement on Friday that the city will investigate taxpayer-funded trips to New York made in 2004 and 2005 by City Council members and staffers.

The trips were made to discuss city bonds but the staffers brought family members, lived high on the hog, and stayed four days longer than they were supposed to.

Those on one or both trips included Barron himself, along with former Mayor Mike Anderson, City Council members Shirley Roberts and Dennis Tarpley, city finance director Don Simons, some of whom brought spouses and children.

The fun part is seeing just what people mis-spend taxpayer money on. In 2004, they ran up $7,552 on meals at Tavern on the Green and Le Cirque, and $7,250 for tickets to Broadway shows. When they went back in 2005, they got two hotel rooms and three luxury suites, ate at Tavern on the Green again (oooh they must've liked that place), Del Frisco's Steakhouse, 21 Club, and Shula's Steakhouse, and bought tickets not just for Broadway shows but also the Metropolitan opera, oh my, the opera.

Posted by T.G.