Naples raises meal reimbursement rate for employees to $35 a day

Naples just increased the city’s meal allowance for travel to be in line with the state’s new policy, but city officials won’t be living it up. They’ll get $35 daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The city’s reimbursement rate was higher than the state’s, with $4 for breakfast, $7 for lunch and $15 for dinner. But Florida legislators increased the state’s rates — $3, $6 and $12 — to $5, $11 and $19, effective July 1.

Naples hasn’t changed its travel reimbursement policy since November 2003, making it easier to use and not requiring detailed receipts. So whether anyone munched on caviar at a conference dinner while forking over most of the bill isn’t outlined.

“The only complaint that (the Finance Department) receives regularly is related to the meal allowances,” Finance Director Ann Marie Ricardi wrote in a recent memo about the proposed increase. “Employees indicate that this is a low allowance compared to what meals cost when they travel.”

Ricardi estimated the increase will cost the city less than $5,200, based on 570 travel days yearly, meaning one employee gone per day. Council members — who make $16,500 yearly for serving on council, less than the mayor’s $23,500 salary — approved the increase June 7.

So who’s the biggest spender on City Council?

That honor goes to Councilman John Sorey, who went on eight trips to conferences over the past two fiscal years, spending $303 on meals at five conferences ranging from the Annual Everglades Conference, two Leadership Florida Classes to the League of Florida Cities Annual Conference and the league’s Environmental Policy Meeting. The sole receipt turned in — for the Annual Everglades Conference — shows he clearly was stiffed, getting reimbursed far less than what the meals cost — $15 for breakfast, $18 for lunch, and $35 for dinner.

“The reality of it is the costs are going up so much, you end up paying money out of your own pocket,” Sorey said Monday. “That’s the reality of the public sector. Any meeting I go to, it costs me money out of my own pocket.”

Sorey called the increase needed, saying Naples was definitely behind in reimbursements.

Vice Mayor Johnny Nocera followed Sorey, at $276 for five meals during three Leadership Florida classes, a Smart Growth Conference and a League of Cities Annual Conference. Mayor Bill Barnett spent $52 on six meals at two state mayors’ meetings. In comparison, City Manager Bob Lee spent $296 on meals at eight conferences.