Larry Clark This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. polkonline.com Clark card-hops on Lake Alfred public 06/15/01

   www.regalmobilehomesales.com/s - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/18/2000   Last Visited: 6/15/2001

   061501 local 1 2 The News-Chief LAKE ALFRED -- Lake Alfred Commissioner Larry Clark is a globetrotter in a governmental sense. -- > Web posted Friday , June 15 , 2001.
   
   Clark card-hops on Lake Alfred public
   
   ...
   LAKE ALFRED -- Lake Alfred Commissioner Larry Clark is a globetrotter in a governmental sense.
   
   As a regional director for the Florida League of Cities , Clark traveled to St. Simons Island , Ga. ; Key West and Miami Beach to the tune of $3 , 200 on behalf of the statewide education and advocacy organization.
   
   He doesn't leave home without his city-issued Visa card.
   
   Clark is by far the city's biggest traveler. As of Thursday morning , he was nearly $2 , 100 behind in repaying Lake Alfred for his Florida League of Cities excursions.
   
   Clark charged more than $800 to his city credit card last September when he attended a League of Cities meeting in Key West. The city paid its credit card bill in October. The League reimbursed Clark's expenses in November.
   
   But more than six month's later , the city had not been reimbursed by Clark.
   
   In February , Clark attended a Miami Beach seminar which he also charged to Lake Alfred's account. He was reimbursed $817 on March 23 by the Florida League , including $152.49 for mileage. In this case , Clark paid the city back $664.72 on March 27.
   
   Clark this week received a $1 , 448 reimbursement check including $174.50 in mileage-related fees for an April seminar in Georgia.
   
   According to records acquired from the Florida League of Cities and Lake Alfred , Clark received $3 , 202 in League expenses between September's Key West meeting and now.
   
   On Thursday , after the News Chief questioned city officials about the outstanding balances , Clark wrote checks totaling $2 , 089.37 to satisfy the remaining account balance , City Manager Jim Drumm said.
   ...
   City officials generally have no problem with Clark using a city credit card to attend state and regional League events , Drumm said.
   ...
   Clark represents Lake Alfred and the Ridge and returns with beneficial information for taxpayers , he said.
   
   ...
   Travel is the name of the game these days , Clark said. With the rising sophistication of city budgets , liability and insurance matters , officials must attend conferences in order to stay current. I do go to a lot of conferences , but it makes me a better commissioner.
   
   Florida League General Counsel Chip Morrison says it's fairly uncommon for the group's officials to pay for activities using a city credit card. The 50 or so directors generally use personal credit cards , he said. Clark and Drumm said they might follow suit in the future.
   ...
   Clark said Coleman's characterization was laughable. Clark said he might actually have previously paid Lake Alfred , although neither the commissioner nor city officials could find a record.
   
   How can a mistake be theft? Clark said. I wrote out a check because we couldn't find anything recorded. If I didn't pay it , that's an oversight..
   
   ...
   Last December , the cost for Clark and others to attend a National League of Cities Conference in Boston came to $2 , 860 , including a dinner that came to $35-a-head for the eight-member delegation.
   
   But it's Boston , Clark said. We're not trying to buy dinner in Lake Alfred..
   
   Five members of the Mayor's Youth Council attended the conference as guests of Clark , Lake Alfred Mayor John Dame and a woman chaperone. The teen-agers went to a Boston Celtics basketball game , charging their admission to Clark's Visa card. The $127 for tickets was paid through a special privately-funded youth council account , Clark said , but other expenses were paid by the City of Lake Alfred.
   
   Winter Haven issues credit cards to the city manager and his assistant , department heads and commissioners , Finance Director Cal Bowen said.
   
   ...
   LAKE ALFRED -- Lake Alfred Commissioner Larry Clark is a globetrotter in a governmental sense.
   
   As a regional director for the Florida League of Cities , Clark traveled to St. Simons Island , Ga. ; Key West and Miami Beach to the tune of $3 , 200 on behalf of the statewide education and advocacy organization.
   
   He doesn't leave home without his city-issued Visa card.
   
   Clark is by far the city's biggest traveler. As of Thursday morning , he was nearly $2 , 100 behind in repaying Lake Alfred for his Florida League of Cities excursions.
   
   Clark charged more than $800 to his city credit card last September when he attended a League of Cities meeting in Key West. The city paid its credit card bill in October. The League reimbursed Clark's expenses in November.
   
   But more than six month's later , the city had not been reimbursed by Clark.
   
   In February , Clark attended a Miami Beach seminar which he also charged to Lake Alfred's account. He was reimbursed $817 on March 23 by the Florida League , including $152.49 for mileage. In this case , Clark paid the city back $664.72 on March 27.
   
   Clark this week received a $1 , 448 reimbursement check including $174.50 in mileage-related fees for an April seminar in Georgia.
   
   According to records acquired from the Florida League of Cities and Lake Alfred , Clark received $3 , 202 in League expenses between September's Key West meeting and now.
   
   On Thursday , after the News Chief questioned city officials about the outstanding balances , Clark wrote checks totaling $2 , 089.37 to satisfy the remaining account balance , City Manager James Drumm said.
   ...
   City officials generally have no problem with Clark using a city credit card to attend state and regional League events , Drumm said.
   ...
   Clark represents Lake Alfred and the Ridge and returns with beneficial information for taxpayers , he said.
   
   ...
   Travel is the name of the game these days , Clark said. With the rising sophistication of city budgets , liability and insurance matters , officials must attend conferences in order to stay current. I do go to a lot of conferences , but it makes me a better commissioner.
   
   Florida League General Counsel Chip Morrison says it's fairly uncommon for the group's officials to pay for activities using a city credit card. The 50 or so directors generally use personal credit cards , he said. Clark and Drumm said they might follow suit in the future.
   ...
   Clark said Coleman's characterization was laughable. Clark said he might actually have previously paid Lake Alfred , although neither the commissioner nor city officials could find a record.
   
   How can a mistake be theft? Clark said. I wrote out a check because we couldn't find anything recorded. If I didn't pay it , that's an oversight..
   
   ...
   Last December , the cost for Clark and others to attend a National League of Cities Conference in Boston came to $2 , 860 , including a dinner that came to $35-a-head for the eight-member delegation.
   
   But it's Boston , Clark said. We're not trying to buy dinner in Lake Alfred..
   
   Five members of the Mayor's Youth Council attended the conference as guests of Clark , Lake Alfred Mayor John Dame and a woman chaperone. The teen-agers went to a Boston Celtics basketball game , charging their admission to Clark's Visa card. The $127 for tickets was paid through a special privately-funded youth council account , Clark said , but other expenses were paid by the City of Lake Alfred.
   
   Winter Haven issues credit cards to the city manager and his assistant , department heads and commissioners , Finance Director Cal Bowen said.