Council Resolves To Limit Phone Use

The City Council agreed Tuesday (Jan. 17, 2006) to tighten rules for members’ city-issued cell phones, a sore subject since an investigation three years ago uncovered excessive bills.

The Aug. 3, 2003 Courier News report on phone charges (by this writer before retirement) revealed calls nationwide by some members and many minutes of overtime that the city paid, no questions asked, even though the phones were meant for city business only. Some members stayed well within the limits and at least one member did not use a city-issued cell phone during the period between January 2002 and April 2003.

Only then-freshman Councilman Rayland Van Blake is still on the council and he only had one month’s charges at the time of the report.

Resident Jean Black recalled the controversy in 2003 and also the fact that the council members’ compensation went from $7,500 to $10,000 as of Jan. 1, 2002. She did not see any reason to have the city pay for cell phones.

“It should be stopped, with the taxes going up,” she said. Monday. “I think it‘s wrong.”

The rules approved Monday set the plan cost at $59.99, plus taxes and insurance, emphasizing the phones are only for city business or to help members of the governing body to provide aid to constituents.

Upon request, the public may obtain the cell phone numbers from City Clerk Laddie Wyatt.

Council members are encouraged to tell people who have their cell phone numbers not to use them for personal calls except in emergencies.

Any council member who decides not to have a city-issued phone cannot bill the city for a personal cell phone.

Those who exceed the plan cost must reimburse the city for the amounts beyond the plan limit within 30 days or face loss of service.

The policy was up for a vote Jan. 1, 2006 at the annual reorganization meeting, but former Council President Linda Carter wanted to add provisions, such as inclusion of insurance and taxes for the monthly bill.

Carter’s amendments also included the following:

Each council member is allotted a maximum of $150 for phone equipment every two years when the plan is renewed.

Council members who lose phones must pay for the replacement, or if they have insurance, must pay the deductible.

If council members want extras like text messaging or plan upgrades, they must pay the difference of the cost within 30 days.

Bills will be reviewed twice a year, with summaries sent to the council members.

In the 2003 Courier News report, it appeared that extreme usage in some cases only generated higher cost plans to accommodate the volume of calls. For example, former Councilwoman Joanne Hollis had a $35 plan with 300 minutes in March 2002 but in August 2002 given a $100 plan with 1,200 minutes. Still, she exceeded the new plan in six of the nine succeeding months.

--Bernice Paglia

KEYWORDS: council, budget