Kannapolis spent more than $26,000 on travel

By Emily Ford

eford@salisburypost.com

KANNAPOLIS — The city of Kannapolis spent $26,465 on travel in 2009 for city council members and City Manager Mike Legg.

Today is the last day of Sunshine Week, when news organizations across the country spotlight the importance of open government and put public information laws to the test.

This year, the Post requested 2009 travel expenses from nearly all municipalities in the paper's circulation area to see how quickly and cooperatively local governments would respond, as well as how much they spent on travel.

Expenditures like travel are public under N.C. General Statutes, meaning any citizen should be able to make the same request and expect to get the information.

Kannapolis produced the records without conflict seven business days after a reporter's request.

Records show two major trips in 2009 and three smaller trips.

A relatively large contingent of Kannapolis officials traveled to the National League of Cities conferences in the spring and fall.

The spring conference in Washington, D.C. cost the city $11,714, including registration, lodging, meals and airfare for Legg, Mayor Bob Misenheimer, City Attorney Wally Safrit and council members Ken Geathers and Randy Cauthen.

Lynne Scott Safrit, wife of Wally Safrit and president of N.C. Research Campus developer Castle & Cooke North Carolina, also attended but paid her own way.

The fall conference was held in San Antonio and cost Kannapolis $12,740.

Legg, Cauthen, Geathers, Wally Safrit and Assistant City Manager Eddie Smith attended, as well as Lynne Scott Safrit and Geathers' wife Mable Geathers, who both paid their own way.

The city reported $2,078 in "other" expenses for these two trips, which included taxi and subway fares, airport parking, baggage fee, tips and mileage.

Officials always reimburse the city for alcohol expenses when they return, as well as any personal expenses, Legg said.

"Our finance department is aggressive about resolving all of this after a trip," he said in an e-mail.

By comparison, the city of Salisbury spent $11,557 on travel last year, less than half as much as Kannapolis. Salisbury sent only one council member, Pete Kennedy, to the two National League of Cities conferences.

Every year, Kannapolis uses the conference in Washington to lobby Congress, as well as meet with other municipal leaders, Legg said.

"It has a dual purpose," he said.

During the three-day trip in 2009, Kannapolis officials spent half their time with the state's congressional delegation, he said.

"These trips have been very successful in bringing federal dollars to Kannapolis," Legg said. "No doubt."

The city has received $9.25 million in total federal earmarks and discretionary stimulus funds since 2007.

"I think there is a strong correlation between this and our trips to Washington," Legg said. "Our City Council has attended the NLC conferences for a number of years, but over the past several years we have stepped up our pursuit of lobbying and face-time with our congressional delegation. I think it has paid off tremendously."

The $9.25 million total represents federal dollars that Kannapolis has lobbied for face-to-face, Legg said. Additional money the city has won from competitive grants and formula grants generally hasn't involved lobbying by city officials, he said.The city incurred travel expenses from three other smaller trips, including registration, meals, lodging and mileage:

- Legg attended management seminars in Research Triangle Park and New Bern that totaled $1,207.

- Geathers attended the N.C. League of Municipalities conference in Greenville that totaled $804.