Q: How much in tax dollars has Karl Skala spent on travel since taking office in April of 2007?
A: The total for that three-year period is $16,000 – and growing. No Council colleague of Karl Skala has spent nearly so many tax dollars on junkets. Karl Skala repeatedly exceeded the allocated individual travel budget for Council members by thousands of dollars. He ran up the largest amount of red ink-overspending on his gourmet travels of any City Council member during his first two full fiscal years in office. And in his third full fiscal year as Councilman, Karl Skala’s gourmet junkets have already cost more than for any other Council member.
Q: Where did Karl Skala travel?
A: Karl Skala’s gourmet destinations included Orlando, New Orleans, Charleston, S.C., San Antonio, Austin, Albuquerque, Chicago, Seattle, Portland and Washington, D.C. , to name a few.
Q: What was on the menu?
A: Karl Skala and his party enjoyed Surf & Turf, Filet Mignon, Lamb, Duck Breast, Raw Oysters on the Half Shell and other high-priced seafood, plus expensive desserts – all paid by Columbia taxpayers.
Q: What is the City of Columbia’s Travel Policy?
A: The City Travel Policy, enacted in 1990 as City Council Bill PR 176-99A, states: “The Mayor and Council members shall exercise careful judgment to keep travel expenses to a reasonable amount.”
Q: How much can rank-and-file City of Columbia employees receive in reimbursement for meals during their official travel?
A: The City of Columbia’s reimbursement amounts for city employees traveling on the job are $7 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and $25 for dinner, unless they can justify the extra expense and provide receipts. But public records show Karl Skala blew right through those limits and gave the bill to taxpayers.
Q: What were some other travel expenses run up on the taxpayers’ tab by Karl Skala?
A: Columbia taxpayers covered multiple expensive conference fees, air fare, and multi-night hotel stays plus meal tabs, with costs for some trips running into thousands of dollars – more than any other Council member and, in many cases, more than the Mayor.
Q: Can you provide examples of Karl Skala ordering gourmet meals at taxpayers’ expense?
A: Yes, there are multiple examples of huge meal tabs, and here are the highlighted delicacies from some of them:
- In New Orleans, the bill of fare included a $32.00 Filet Mignon, $24.95 fresh raw oysters on the half shell, $12.75 for an Oyster Po-Boy and a $6.00 bowl of Turtle Soup.
- In Orlando, the taxpayer-funded tab included a $48.00 Surf & Turf, $34.00 for fresh Red Snapper, a $14.00 short-rib sandwich and $7.50 New York Cheesecake, $3.50 Espresso and $9.00 noonday room-service Empanadas plus room service charges.
- In Albuquerque, taxpayers treated Karl Skala and his party to $22.00 duck breast, a $29.00 filet, $8.75 Calamari, $9.75 antipasto and $6.00 Tiramisu for dessert.
- In Charleston, South Carolina, Karl Skala and his party enjoyed the freshest seafood at the swankiest restaurants praised as gourmet hotspots in reviews by The New York Times. There were servings of Salmon Cake and Mahi-Mahi at $7.95 each, Stuffed Tilapia at $17.95, Braised Grouper at $20.95 and Shrimp Salad at $9.00. Karl Skala’s party didn’t neglect four-legged delights, with a $33.00 order of Lamb. Don’t forget dessert: A $6.50 order of Pistachio Ice Cream with extra sauce and walnuts.
Q: Did Karl Skala charge alcoholic beverages to Columbia taxpayers during his gourmet travels?
A: Thankfully, it appears Karl Skala paid his own booze tabs, which sometimes cost more than the gourmet food purchased by taxpayers, as his party ordered whole bottles of wine, expensive liquor, dessert wines and after-dinner vintage port costing up to $12.50 per glass.
Q: What’s the big deal – isn’t Councilman an unpaid position? So what’s wrong with some gourmet dining on out-of-state trips?
A: This is a big deal because Columbia is hurting economically. Revenues are down. Unemployment is up. We are in the worst economy since the Great Depression, and the citizens of Ward 3 are watching every dollar in their own households. Our elected officials must be wise and frugal with the tax dollars entrusted to their protection. Blowing taxpayer money on gourmet meals and junkets clearly is NOT a wise use of tax dollars. It makes a mockery of the long-standing City Travel Policy, which says the Mayor and Council “shall exercise careful judgment to keep travel expenses to a reasonable amount.” It is a big deal, because Karl Skala enjoyed lots of big-ticket meals – and he charged them to Columbia’s hard-working taxpayers.
Q: Is Gary Kespohl against the City of Columbia being represented at national meetings?
A: NO – appropriate representation is fine, so long as the City can afford responsible and reasonable travel costs for designated officials. That has clearly not been the practice for Karl Skala. The Mayor, the City Council and the City Manager should have clear and transparent discussions about the priorities and missions for each such proposed trip. These discussions should include the context of the Columbia economy, the City’s responsible budget capacity, and an awareness that Columbia’s other public and private employers have dramatically reduced travel spending. Such travel should only be undertaken after ample consideration and when there is a clear benefit for the entire City of Columbia – not just to puff up the resume of one Council member who wants to win association awards and someday run for higher office.
Q: Will Gary Kespohl take taxpayer-funded trips if he is elected to City Council?
A: NO. Gary Kespohl publicly pledges that he will not use tax dollars for his travel as Councilman from Ward 3.
Q: Why do you say Karl Skala has a pattern of questionable spending of public money?
A: Karl Skala’s pattern of handling taxpayer money to satisfy his own whims included his ongoing support of a $100,000 special fund for Council member discretionary spending – while declining a downtown organization’s offer to spare taxpayers half the cost of installing safety cameras downtown.
Q: Why is Karl Skala’s pattern of spending public money a long-term concern for Columbia taxpayers?
A: Because almost from the start of his three-year term on the Columbia City Council, Karl Skala has been busting his allocated budget for taxpayer-funded meals, lodging and plane tickets. The pattern of wasting tax dollars has continued through every year of Karl Skala’s tenure. And Karl Skala recently told the Columbia Daily Tribune he wants to serve for a long time to come, because, “I’ve got lots more work to do. I’m just getting the feel for being in city council.” Karl Skala has definitely gotten the feel for taxpayer-funded gourmet junkets – and he didn’t even bring us a doggie bag.
Q: Why do you question the appropriateness of Karl Skala’s spending for his travel in the context of other public agency spending?
A: Karl Skala’s gourmet junkets repeatedly busted his allocated share of the City travel budget, at a time when citizens, public entities and private companies are watching every dime, cutting spending and holding the line on travel costs. Major Columbia public employers, such as the University of Missouri, are slashing travel spending in the interest of responsible stewardship of public money. Columbia CANNOT afford three more years of Karl Skala’s squandering. Gary Kespohl will NOT spend taxpayer funds for junkets as Ward 3 City Councilman.
