Should Allentown City Council keep closer tabs on the mayor\u2019s travel expenses?<\/p>\n
Council members debated that question Wednesday night, saying they have increasingly heard from city residents who are concerned about the mayor\u2019s time out of town.<\/p>\n
Mayor Matt Tuerk was not present for the meeting, but managing director Frank Kane defended his travel, saying that he has not exceeded the budgeted amount, and that he is working on important networking and development for Allentown while on those trips.<\/p>\n
The mayor\u2019s office has allocated $22,000 for training and professional development and $400 for mileage expense in 2026, according to budget documents.<\/p>\n
On City Council\u2019s agenda Wednesday was a resolution sponsored by four members that called for Controller Jeff Glazier, the city\u2019s independent financial watchdog, to \u201cconduct a detailed audit of all travel-related expenses submitted by the Mayor since he took office.\u201d<\/p>\n
City Council Vice President Cynthia Mota, a co-sponsor of the resolution, said it is \u201cnot about accusations; rather, it is about accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize that travel can be a part of the mayor\u2019s official duties,\u201d Mota said. \u201cHowever, when public funds are used, those expenses must be clearly documented, reasonable and in full compliance with law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tuerk has been absent for the last three City Council meetings. According to his social media posts, he travelled to Barcelona, Spain, and Riverside, California, last month.<\/p>\n
Council members in particular took issue with one of the mayor\u2019s recent social posts,<\/a> where he documented himself running the Barcelona marathon during a trip he took to the Spanish city for the Bloomberg CityLab<\/a> conference.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got people who are struggling between buying bread and their meds, and then they go on social media, and they see their mayor in a foreign country running a race, it\u2019s optics,\u201d said Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach, another sponsor of the resolution.<\/p>\n Kane said that Tuerk\u2019s trip to Barcelona for the Bloomberg conference was paid for by that organization, and that Tuerk personally paid his own way to stay an extra day and run the marathon.<\/p>\n He conceded that Tuerk and other city administrators should do a better job of explaining city-sponsored travel and the benefits it brings.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the elected representatives of the voters and the taxpayers of the city of Allentown, you have every right to ask questions of this administration, and it\u2019s our responsibility to answer them, even if it\u2019s uncomfortable \u2014 especially if it\u2019s uncomfortable,\u201d Kane said.<\/p>\n Every city expense is already audited by the controller, who flags any discrepancies to City Council when he finds them, Kane said.<\/p>\n While traveling to conferences in D.C. and abroad, Tuerk has networked with state and federal officials, which has helped bring funding to the city, including a $20 million grant to address unemployment,<\/a> Kane added.<\/p>\n Council members said they recognize the value of Tuerk\u2019s travel, but want more communication about when it happens and what Tuerk is accomplishing when he leaves the city.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is doing work out there that is beneficial to the city and the residents, and for whatever reason is not sharing it, which is odd because there\u2019s so much positive,\u201d said Council President Santo Napoli. \u201cWe want to understand what he is learning, we all want to know, because it\u2019s positive, it\u2019s good stuff. I\u2019m optimistic you can share this information in a more timely manner.\u201d<\/p>\n Napoli forwarded the proposed audit to a Human Resources committee meeting next week. He asked Kane and Glazier \u2014 who was not at Wednesday\u2019s meeting due to medical leave \u2014 to prepare a report on Tuerk\u2019s travel expenses before that meeting for Council to discuss and decide how to move forward.<\/p>\n Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.<\/p>\n \t\t\t