DALTON, Ga. — The total cost to taxpayers when the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners and other county officials traveled to Savannah for a conference was $18,594, according to receipts and other documents provided by the county.

Hotel rooms and parking at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront made up the largest share of that, about $12,500. Hotel rooms and parking for county staff came to about $7,200, almost 60 percent of total hotel costs. Mileage made up the second largest portion of the costs, some $3,200. Drivers were reimbursed at $0.535 per mile. While most drivers claimed mileage expenses of about $350, Public Works Director DeWayne Hunt was reimbursed $769 for mileage.

“He had a training session in Macon as well as this strategy session (in Savannah),” said County Manager Mark Gibson.

Meals, not counting snacks for a work session the commissioners held, accounted for the third-largest share of the cost, some $1,900

And members of the Board of Commissioners say they did not realize they’d paid $70 each for three gallons of coffee, $210 total.

All told, commissioners paid $377 for snacks — which also included a dozen and a half brownies, a dozen and a half pastries and a pound of nuts — for a work session they held in Savannah during the weekend meeting of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) in April. They paid $451.36 for use of the conference room for two days but ended up cancelling one scheduled work session because of concerns over whether it had been properly advertised. They paid $115 for use of a projector and screen.

“When you are in a hotel and you use a conference room, they provide the coffee, they provide the snacks,” said Board Chairman Lynn Laughter. “That includes servers. It includes people bringing it in and refilling it. I had no clue we were paying $70. But I’ve talked to several business people who travel and they’ve said, ‘That’s what you have to do when you are in a hotel.’ The hotel would not have allowed us to go to Starbucks and bring in coffee.”

But one commissioner says in retrospect they should have done without the snacks.

“We should have been more careful, asked what it was going to cost,” said Commissioner Roger Crossen.

In addition to commissioners and their spouses, Gibson, County Attorney Robert Smalley, Human Resources Director Jackie Carlo, Recreation Director Brian Chastain, Hunt, Fire Chief Edward O’Brien and Finance Director Alicia Vaughn traveled to Savannah for the conference.

Commissioners continue to defend the value of ACCG training and of attending the conference.

“I do believe that the classes and the chance to interact with other commissioners is valuable,” said Commissioner Barry Robbins.

But county staff did not attend the conference to take classes. They were there primarily to prepare for and take part in the strategic work sessions to be held by commissioners.

Was having them in Savannah just for the work sessions worth the $7,200 to put them in hotel rooms?

“I didn’t think so,” said Commissioner Greg Jones. “If we were going to have a work session, I don’t see why we couldn’t have had a speaker phone and have them call in.”

Commissioners say that if they go back to the ACCG conference next year they may not take staff with them.

“Given the public reaction, maybe just the commissioners should go down,” said Commissioner Harold Brooker. “We’ve been taking them down for several years, but we haven’t always done it that way. We need to take a look at it, see if we need to have them down there with us or if there’s another way of doing things.”

Laughter said commissioners have already discussed taking only Gibson and Smalley with them to the next ACCG meeting.

Adding up the costs

Based on receipts and other materials provided by Whitfield County, the total cost to send members of the Board of Commissioners, their spouses and staff to Savannah for a meeting of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia was $18,594. Hotel rooms and parking at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront made up the largest share of that, about $12,500, with costs for staff about $7,200. Mileage made up the second largest portion of the costs, some $3,200. Meals accounted for the third-largest share of the cost, some $1,900.