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Victorville council asks city attorney to draft policy on councilmember event reimbursements
Summary
The council unanimously directed the city attorney to draft a proposal addressing when councilmembers should reimburse the city for event costs or provide exceptions (for example, medical emergencies) and to return with options in coming meetings.
The Victorville City Council on April 1 unanimously voted to refer a proposed policy on councilmember reimbursements for city-paid event expenses to the city attorney for drafting and to solicit individual council member input.
The item, introduced by Council member Jones, follows repeated council concern about instances when council members agreed to attend conferences or events and city funds were committed on that basis but the council member did not attend. Jones described the proposal as intended to enhance transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility and said the policy should include acceptable reasons for nonattendance, required documentation and an appeal process.
Council members asked procedural questions about whether the city council policy and procedures manual could be amended outside the established two-year review cycle. City staff and the city attorney said certain council policies are governed by the policy manual and are only amended on a biennial schedule, but that the council could direct changes to the separate expense and reimbursement policy (CP 24-07) and that staff could return draft language in a couple of meetings.
The council approved a motion to send the matter to the city attorney, asking the attorney to prepare proposed language and to solicit each council member’s preferences, with a request to bring proposals back for discussion and possible action within a short timeline. The motion passed unanimously.
City staff said they expect to present options and draft language for council review within a few meetings and that the city attorney will coordinate with each council member to gather input.
