Collin County Commissioners show large disparity in reimbursement requests

by Bill Baumbach of The Collin County Observer

Collin County's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Fiscal 2009 is now 75% done and with budget planning already begun for FY 2010, it seems like a good time to search the county's check register to see how our commissioners are spending our tax dollars on themselves.

Commissioners make a great salary. They get to set their own pay rate and benefits -- and it shows. In 2009, each commissioner made $111,146.00 in base salary. Keith Self, the county judge, was paid $136,073.00. In addition, the commissioners and county judge are entitled to a fine health insurance plan, retirement benefits, life insurance, and long and short term disability policies.

They are also entitled to submit expenses for reimbursement. So far in FY 2009, the commissioners have been reimbursed for over $2,600 in "business meal" expenses alone.

There is a large disparity among the commissioners in the use of tax dollars for meals -- Pct. 2 Commissioner Jerry Hoagland seems to be the biggest eater on the court. His $1,785 in meals takes the lions share of all reimbursed dinners -- accounting for almost 70% of the entire year's charges by commissioners. Pct. 4 Commissioner Kathy Ward spent the least -- she spent zero tax dollars for meals.

The county judge and commissioners have submitted a total of over $13,500 in reimbursable expenses. These expenses are for travel, training, conferences and meals. Self was the biggest spender overall, racking up reimbursed charges of over $4,800. The next largest spender was Pct. 3 Commissioner Joe Jaynes, who spent almost $4,400. Again, the smallest spender was Commissioner Kathy Ward, who turned in only $375 in expenses.