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Updated: Jun 19th, 2005 - 20:05:13 |
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- Seminole County commissioners are some of the best paid in Central Florida. But 9 Investigates discovered some are asking taxpayers to pick up the tab for everything from extra cell phone calls to one-mile trips.
Shelby, North Carolina is quaint, quiet, and expensive if you're a Seminole County taxpayer. Commissioner Dick van der Weide makes frequent trips and he's run up huge roaming charges on his county paid for cell phone. In one weekend: $162. That's on top of $149-a-month taxpayers already pay for non-roaming service. He blames county staffers.
"We've never seen the bills," said van der Weide. "We switched carriers. We never see the bills. When [Channel 9] got involved, it's been brought to light."
Over the past year, records show he rang up $600 in extra charges. Channel 9 also discovered a toll free 800 number on his bill. Records show it was called three times in an hour. The line prompts you call another more-racy adult chat room where callers are invited to chat with "horny housewives" and "cheerleaders." There is no indication he called that one, but Channel 9's Josh Wilson asked him about calls to the first chat line.
"If that's the case, it don't belong to me," the commissioner said. When pushed about the calls on his cell phone bills he said: "You're going to notice there are some roaming charges on there from Tampa. I haven't even been in Tampa."
Van der Weide and other commissioners are paid nearly $74,000 a year. That's about $25,000 more than the average household income in Seminole County. Still, an Eyewitness News examination of county commission expense reports show van der Weide charges Seminole County taxpayers for every little expense.
For example, he billed taxpayers for mileage when he drove his personal car one mile on taxpayer business: that's $.29 cents.
"I'm not charging them for anything I'm not authorized," he added.
Believe it or not, fellow Commissioner Randy Morris was authorized to bill taxpayers for mileage to a Republican Party fundraiser.
"It's a public appearance," Morris explained.
But after Channel 9 started asking questions, Morris promised to return the $6 to the county. But Morris doesn't apologize for parking habits at Orlando International Airport. Expense reports shows he parked in the $18-a-day Terminal Parking Garage instead of the $7-a-day Satellite lots.
"You can have a delay of an half-hour to an hour when you park in the satellite lots versus getting there on time," he said. "No, I don't see that as extravagant at all."
Retirees Vern and Helen Hazzard disagree. Although the dollar figures aren't huge, they see the spending as bordering on arrogance.
"They're [van der Weide & Morris] taking advantage of their office and letting someone else pay for their bills. That's not fair."
Channel 9 asked the county spokesperson if anyone was disciplined as a result of signing up for the plan with such high roaming charges. She said no one has or is expected to be disciplined for the billing problems.
Seminole County Watch.com
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Commissioners Ring Up Big Bills That Taxpayers Cover