I recently overheard an El Centro City Councilman bragging about “city business” and a weekend Las Vegas “getaway.” Is it city protocol to send its council members to Las Vegas? Not only did this council member take extended family on the trip, but it appears not much business was done … simply eating out and having a great time. The working class citizens of El Centro should not be spending for this extravagance. — Resident, El Centro
Once you become an elected public official, you are open to scrutiny. City officials had no problem going over the billings and requests for reimbursements for El City Councilman Efrain Silva, who was the council member in question.
He understands such questions are going to pop up from time to time.
But really, by all accounting, he did nothing out of the ordinary or beyond the scope of what any other council member or mayor from any other city might do or be expected to do.
As a council member, he represented the city of El Centro at the National Council for La Raza conference in Las Vegas to hear about Latino/Hispanic concerns. After all, 80.6 percent of Imperial County’s population is Hispanic, so it makes sense.
Silva said he attended workshops and sessions dealing with health care, immigration, voter registration, community organizing, all aimed at Latinos.
“It’s valuable as a community representative to be aware of these issues,” he said. “It strengthens my position as a council member.”
Silva was not alone in representing the Valley at the conference. Among the 3,000 conference attendees were a Brawley council member, county officials, someone from Clinicas De Salud Del Pueblo and Campesinos Unidos.
As far as costs associated with the trip, they all seemed reasonable.
Registration for the conference was $625, which included lunch for two days. He was also given meal allowances for one full day or breakfast, lunch and dinner and breakfast and dinner both days the conference was going.
He only billed a total of $71 for the full day, $24 total for two days of breakfast and $72 total for two days of dinner.
For his accommodations, he stayed at Mandalay Bay (where the conference was held), but even that rate was only $159 per night for three nights.
Silva took his own car and was reimbursed $318.24 for mileage.
He also had $15 in incidental charges for the three days.
All of this billing information was obtained from the city of El Centro, not Silva.
He said in his five years on the council, this was only the third trip he has taken, because most trips conflict with his job at Imperial Valley College.
As the La Raza conference was on a weekend, it worked out perfectly.
From the city’s end, the official we talked with said it is irrelevant who he took with him, as he did not bill or was not reimbursed for anyone other than himself.
Once you become an elected public official, you are open to scrutiny. City officials had no problem going over the billings and requests for reimbursements for El City Councilman Efrain Silva, who was the council member in question.
He understands such questions are going to pop up from time to time.
But really, by all accounting, he did nothing out of the ordinary or beyond the scope of what any other council member or mayor from any other city might do or be expected to do.
As a council member, he represented the city of El Centro at the National Council for La Raza conference in Las Vegas to hear about Latino/Hispanic concerns. After all, 80.6 percent of Imperial County’s population is Hispanic, so it makes sense.
Silva said he attended workshops and sessions dealing with health care, immigration, voter registration, community organizing, all aimed at Latinos.
“It’s valuable as a community representative to be aware of these issues,” he said. “It strengthens my position as a council member.”
Silva was not alone in representing the Valley at the conference. Among the 3,000 conference attendees were a Brawley council member, county officials, someone from Clinicas De Salud Del Pueblo and Campesinos Unidos.
As far as costs associated with the trip, they all seemed reasonable.
Registration for the conference was $625, which included lunch for two days. He was also given meal allowances for one full day or breakfast, lunch and dinner and breakfast and dinner both days the conference was going.
He only billed a total of $71 for the full day, $24 total for two days of breakfast and $72 total for two days of dinner.
For his accommodations, he stayed at Mandalay Bay (where the conference was held), but even that rate was only $159 per night for three nights.
Silva took his own car and was reimbursed $318.24 for mileage.
He also had $15 in incidental charges for the three days.
All of this billing information was obtained from the city of El Centro, not Silva.
He said in his five years on the council, this was only the third trip he has taken, because most trips conflict with his job at Imperial Valley College.
As the La Raza conference was on a weekend, it worked out perfectly.
From the city’s end, the official we talked with said it is irrelevant who he took with him, as he did not bill or was not reimbursed for anyone other than himself.
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