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MUST READ FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE: “MPLS. CITY COUNCIL ALL OVER THE MAP ON CAR ALLOWANCE”

By Luke Hellier | October 29, 2009

“Betsy Hodges represents southwest Minneapolis on the City Council, and a corner of her ward is farther from City Hall than any other point in the city.

Hodges, like most city employees, claims mileage reimbursement for meeting with city residents. She got $1,084 last year at the IRS rate.

Contrast that with Council Member Lisa Goodman, whose ward includes City Hall. She lives downtown, close enough to walk to work if she didn’t need her car for appointments. Goodman billed the city for $5,600 in auto allowance payments last year, although $800 was accidental and taken out of this year’s allowance.

Those two examples show the wide disparity in how council members treat the $400-per-month auto allowance that a lame-duck council approved in 2005.

Four council members didn’t collect the allowance last year. Hodges was the only one who collected on a per-mile basis. Ralph Remington billed the city $4,800 in allowances for car expenses, with Scott Benson and Barbara Johnson right behind him.

Some have criticized the car allowance as a back-door pay raise for council members, who will make $76,482 this year.

‘I would be as frugal with the city’s money as I am with my own,’ said Ninth Ward candidate Dave Bicking. He said he’d reject the allowance because his 1991 Toyota is cheap to drive.” Source: Star Tribune, October 28, 2009

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