Hamilton County Commissioners on Wednesday morning considered a resolution that would bring them more in line with other constitutional offices. Each year the Commissioners gets a certain amount of money to cover expenses for travel. Under the current rules any unused money from one year simply rolls into the next year.
Resolution 220-4 is titled “A Resolution amending the protocol (Expense Allowance Policy)” for the members of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners as previously amended by Resolution 1118-14.
If the resolution passes next Wednesday then any unused funds from the travel fund would no longer roll into the next year. Instead, the money would be sent back into the general fund.
Commissioner Greg Martin said, “Every other constitutional office in county government, when they don’t use those particular travel funds, they go back into the general fund. And I just think that would be a good thing for the County Commission to do along with all of the other constitutional offices.”
Commissioner Sabrena Smedley also voiced her support for the resolution. Even though she told the Commission that she may not be able to attend next week’s meeting due to another meeting at East Hamilton High School, she was able to get her opinion on the record.
“If by chance I get caught up there and can’t make it to this meeting, I just want to say for the record that I very much support this resolution,” said Commissioner Smedley. “I do think any unused portion of our travel expense money should not roll over to the following year.”