Blog: Commissioner's Mileage Expenses Over the Top

Commissioner Frazier has continued to milk the County treasury for petty mileage reimbursement charges that total into a tidy sum for attending meetings and events which are not remotely a requirement – or even related to – her elected position.

County Comptroller Rob Burk is playing the foot dragging game with what should be easily obtainable records that I have requested as a breakdown of the amounts paid to Frazier. His office did provide me with Frazier’s October 2011 detailed expense reimbursement report, along with a notation on a voucher payment that she received similar amounts for November and December 2011 ($226.35 and $201.15 respectively) but when I asked to see the specific reports for those two year ending months, none have been provided nor has any explanation as to why they haven’t been. The total $693.45 voucher request was made by County Clerk Shawn Reese and certified as a proper charge by Chief of Staff Steve Powell.

Draw your own conclusions from the events she charged mileage for and please note that neither the beginning nor ending mileage on her car odometer is indicated for any event, something all County employees are required to do when they submit similar reimbursement requests . Commissioner Frazier has been reimbursed by the County for a total of $265.95 for mileage reimbursements in October 2011 for the following:

• Carroll County Resource Day (October 1^st)
• Breakfast at the Best Western on 10/3/11
• A trip to Union Mills on the 9^th
• Attending a Planning Commission meeting on 11/13 (note, she is not
       the ex-officio member of the Planning Commission, Rothschild is).
• A jaunt to the Ag Center on 10/12/11
• Attending the Sykesville Town Council meeting on 10/27 (alas, Sykesville
       is not in her election district, it’s Howard’s)
• Attending a golf tournament at Oakmont Green in Hampstead on 10/14/11
• Attending an Alpha Pregnancy Banquet (????) on 10/20/11
• Attending an un-named induction dinner on October 21^st
• Attending a Republican Club Dinner on 10/22/11
• Chowing down at a CC Farm Bureau dinner on 10/25/11
• Attending another Planning Commission meeting on 10/27/11
• Attending the opening of a Gateway Project on 10/28/11
• Munching with the folks at the Mt. Zion Church Breakfast on 10/29/11
• A drive to a “Summit Prep” on 10/30/11
• The round trip to the actual “Summit” on 10/31/11 (she charged
       only $19.35 for this trip as compared to the $30.15 for the prep just the
       day before)

It isn’t that I have chosen to single out Commissioner Frazier for these reimbursements. She has managed to accomplish that herself by being the only one of our 5 commissioners to make such demands on the county treasury.

The documents the County has provided me with that substantiate this blog have been provided to the Patch editor. I have a standing request into the county for additional detailed statements; perhaps the comptroller will make them available to the press if so requested.