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Allegany County policy permits purchase of alcohol with government credit cards

By Kevin Spradlin

Cumberland Times-News (Maryland)

December 10, 2008

CUMBERLAND — Allegany County might have the most lenient policy regarding employees’ use of government-issued credit cards to purchase alcohol of Maryland’s three westernmost counties.

Such instances, however, “are pre-approved and it’s very, very rare occasions,” said Jim Stakem, Allegany County Commission president. “It’s a way of doing business.”

“Any time it’s done, it’s done over a special occasion (such as) economic development,” Stakem said. “It’s really not that much money involved here. We feel confident we did the right thing. This is a business.”

Stakem said the county recently amended its policy which eased a former outright ban of such purchases. County Administrator Vance Ishler said those purchases now must be pre-approved by the commissioners or the expenses will be born by the cardholder.

Frostburg resident Mike Wade filed a Public Information Act request in October regarding the use of Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Director Gary Moore’s government-issued credit card. He requested statements and receipts from Moore’s card over a 16-month period ending October 2008.

Among the documents, for which Wade paid $45, were receipts between December 2007 through April in which Moore’s card was charged a total of $175.98 on alcohol in four separate instances. That doesn’t include the price of food or other beverages.

Stakem said Moore rarely, if ever, drank alcohol — evidence the drinks were for others. Moore was contacted for this story late Wednesday and declined to comment.

Stakem said they were bought during meetings between Moore and officials who played a role in helping the county secure a $2 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The process has apparently worked, he said, as Moore has been the catalyst for more than $10 million in federal grants with a county match of approximately $100,000.

The $2 million grant, however, shouldn’t be construed as an economic development tool. Steve Kulm, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said as much in an interview last month. The $2 million is for “renting office space (and) communications equipment,” Kulm told the Times-News on Nov. 6.

Wade’s Public Information Act request did not include any other department heads. Moore’s receipts could be only a fraction of what is spent on alcohol. Wade said it’s aggravating that county officials use tax dollars for alcohol.

“I don’t approve of that,” Wade said.

Neither, for the most part, do other county governments. Cardholders in Garrett County are prohibited from purchasing alcohol without prior consent from the County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt.

But exceptions are rarely granted, said Pagenhardt, and would be perhaps if General Motors wanted to build a plant in Garrett County.

“Bottom line, it is prohibited,” Pagenhardt said. “For us, it’s not an allowable cost.”

Washington County Budget and Finance Director Debra Murray said alcohol is permitted to be on receipts but is not reimbursable except for purposes of economic development.

“We do not reimburse employees for alcohol,” Murray said.

Stakem said Wade’s scrutiny comes only because he’s a “wannabe” county commissioner.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.