Supervisors cap spending on ceremonies
Saying they want to ensure taxpayer funds are spentconservatively, Riverside County supervisors today approved limiting the amountof money that can be expended on groundbreakings and other ceremonies forcounty projects.
“We need some guidelines,” Supervisor Jeff Stone said. “We don’t needto host big parties to tout our accomplishments.”
Stone and Supervisor John Tavaglione proposed a policy titled“Celebrate Infrastructure Additions Uniformly,” or CIAU, under which allexpenditures for a groundbreaking, ribbon-cutting, grand opening or othercounty-sponsored function would be capped by formula.
Though he agreed to attach his name to CIAU, Tavaglione expressed qualmstoday, initially refusing to back the proposed policy because he felt it wastoo overbearing.
“Rather than put a limit on this, why not just leave it up to eachboard member (to decide what’s appropriate)?” he said, recommending that allrequests for funds to pay for celebratory events be subject to a four-fifthsvote of the Board of Supervisors.
Tavaglione also took issue with Stone’s suggested formula fordetermining where to draw the line on spending for project completion parties.
Stone said that in order to keep costs “within reasonable parameters,”the amount expended on a groundbreaking or other event should be held to 0.3percent of the total project budget — and never exceed $7,500.
A ribbon-cutting for a county facility that underwent $400,000 inrenovations and upgrades, for instance, would be limited to a $1,200 budget.
Supervisors Marion Ashley and Kevin Jeffries lauded the proposed caps.
“Guidelines are critically important,” Jeffries said. “That way weknow the rules of engagement in advance.”
He proposed capping groundbreaking expenditures at $2,000 or less.
“There should be controls over this,” Ashley said. “It’s better tohave a target out there.”
Tavaglione conceded that limits were a good thing, but stuck with hisoriginal call for a four-fifths vote on budget requests to cover the costs ofceremonies.
The board voted unanimously to impose the caps — and require a four-fifths vote for any funding requests that exceed $7,500.
