County’s Travel Allowance
Recently the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had an opportunity to review the county’s travel allowance program (Nov. 15). This program was originally established in 1987 in an effort to cut costs by eliminating cars for certain county employees.
On the surface, the travel allowance program appears to be designed to reimburse county employees for the daily use of their personal vehicles while conducting county business. In reality, many of the participants in the program don’t use their cars at all in the normal course of business and still collect an extra $400-$525 a month.
This program appears to be another “hidden bonus” designed to enhance county executive salaries on the backs of taxpayers. It is a program that falls in the same category as the now-defunct professional development allowance and the executive bonus program. Although originally intended to cut county costs, this program has actually grown by 145% from $1.1 million to $2.7 million annually.
In addition, the transportation allowance is added to the base pay of these executives, which significantly increases their retirement benefits, in effect, “double-dipping” into the taxpayer trough. The end result will cost the taxpayers millions of unnecessary additional dollars.
After recently reviewing and approving the county budget, it is clear that the county is not financially healthy and is hurting for dollars to provide critically needed services. These additional dollars could be used to enhance the county’s health care system, expand mental health services, or to beef up our law enforcement.
While I am not opposed to a program to compensate employees for the use of their autos on county business, I am against a program without a clear policy. These allowances should not be doled out to reward county bureaucrats, many who already receive handsome salaries. I won’t support these kinds of hidden bonuses and I know that the taxpayers won’t either.
The Board of Supervisors will have an opportunity to review the transportation allowance program again in a few weeks. I hope the rest of the supervisors will join me in ending this disgraceful abuse of taxpayers dollars and in calling for a fair and uniform policy.
GLORIA MOLINA
Supervisor, First District
Los Angeles County
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