Commissioners’ Travel Expenses

The MCTA did an extensive report earlier on commissioners’ travel expenses.

At that time, we pointed out the huge discrepancies in the amounts each commissioner spent. Commissioner Vargas was by far the one who spent the most, with Commissioner Ciampi spending the least. The actual figures do not lie, and now that a constitutional amendment is on the ballot, which, if passed by the voters, will cause the ad valorem dollars received by Martin County to shrink by 40%, this one expense should be looked at again.

At that time, we presented recommendations that the commissioners could follow:

• Each commissioner be given the same travel amount with the chair receiving an additional 15%.
• Commissioners should only attend events, especially if travel is involved, for those boards to which they have been assigned by their fellow commissioners. We stated that there was no reason for more than one commissioner to attend any event.
• All travel arrangements should be made by the Financial Services Department instead of individual commissioners.
• All travel points and bonuses should be given to Martin County and not the individual commissioners.
• All commissioners must stay at the hotel where the conference is held, minimizing Uber and cab fees back and forth.
• The county should have its own Uber account that must be used, and the cheapest type of car should be utilized.
• When traveling locally, the commissioner must use a county-owned vehicle or, if not available, their own car and be reimbursed on a per-mile basis as per federal guidelines.
• Commissioners should use their county issued P-Card for miscellaneous expenses so that all points for purchases are the county’s and not the individual commissioner’s.

At the commission meeting where these type of expenses were discussed after our first report, the administrator specifically stated that he was going to put together procedures. He has failed to do so, or at least explain anything to us or the public further.

We obtained the following list from the Martin County Comptroller of each commissioner’s expenses from January to most of May 2026. Once again, Commissioner Vargas has spent the most at $9,661.70, and Commissioner Ciampi the least… nothing.

We will keep reporting back to the taxpayers until all commissioners’ travel expenses look more like Ciampi’s and less like Vargas’. MCTA also is still waiting to see procedures instituted to protect the taxpayers’ money. As Vargas constantly reminds the public from the dais that it is the people’s money and not the commissioners’.