Travel Spending Restricted by S.D. Port Commissioners

The Board of Port Commissioners, which has one of the more generous travel budgets of any public agency in San Diego County, changed its policy on out-of-town travel Tuesday, but commissioners and staffers will still be able to fly first-class on international trips and have no limit on how much they can pay for meals and hotels.

The change was prompted by criticism the Port District received about its travel in connection with port-related conferences and with the search for cargo business, which often requires overseas trips. During the past five years the Port District spent nearly $400,000 on travel.

Some commissioners--all of whom serve without pay--have said they shouldn’t be expected to stay at cheap hotels when they are traveling on legitimate Port District business.

Major elements of the new policy include:

- Flying coach class when traveling less than 2,000 miles within the United States.

- Staffers and commissioners will fly business-class on trips of more than 2,000 miles in the United States.

- First-class air fare on all international flights.

- Submission of receipts for expenses exceeding $25, as opposed to the old regulation that called for receipts after $50.

- All staffers and commissioners “are expected to stay in first-class commercial hotels instead of more expensive resort hotels.”

There was little discussion by commissioners about the changes, but Commissioner Louis Wolfsheimer said he will adhere to the City of San Diego’s stricter travel guidelines. He said that the city places a $50 daily limit on meals and that, as a practical matter, no one from the city has flown first-class in many years, including international flights.

Chairman Dan Larsen, who is one of three City of San Diego appointees, responded, “Our policy doesn’t force anyone to travel first-class.”