Stricter travel policy proposed after Washtenaw County equity officer’s frequent trips

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Washtenaw County leaders may add further oversight and restrictions on government employees’ travel after public revelations about frequent conference trips and overseas flights a top official charged to a county credit card.

A new travel policy, proposed but tabled for future consideration during the county board’s Wednesday, June 5 meeting, would end the practice of certain top-level employees approving their own trips, add new layers of oversight for pricey travel and institute a system of public reporting for overnight excursions on official business.

“I certainly have heard from all of you and understand that I need to provide more and better oversight over our travel policy, and I am absolutely committed to doing that,” county Administrator Gregory Dill told the county board when introducing the changes, which follow other travel policy reforms instituted in May.

The locked-down procedures come after MLive/The Ann Arbor News reported county Racial Equity Officer Alize Asberry Payne spent at least 80 days traveling to conferences and events in 2022 and 2023, including a trip to Germany and multiple four- and five-star hotel stays exceeding $600 a night, according to credit card records.

Read more: Equity officer booked trip to Europe, 80+ days of travel with Washtenaw County credit card

Between 2022 and March 2024, Asberry Payne used her county card for $18,186.82 in flights under her name, $25,577.97 in personal lodging charges at conferences and $5,904.46 in Uber rides, according to the credit card statements.

Asberry Payne remains on leave from her position, Dill confirmed on Thursday, June 6. The county has not specified a reason behind the absence.

Dill made no specific reference to Asberry Payne’s travel when presenting the revised travel policy as the county board meeting dragged into the early morning hours of Thursday.

In reviewing the county organization, which employs some 1,400 people, Dill said he had not found “widespread concerns” related to travel. But the policy changes are being prompted by some “outliers” which have created a “degree of discomfort,” he told county leaders, without specifying.

“Had I been more involved in travel, likely some of those outliers would not have occurred,” Dill said.

The proposed policy changes would give Dill a more active role.

Under the draft changes, the county administrator would approve travel for department heads, and the chair of the county board would approve the administrator’s travel. Any trips in excess of $5,000 in total expected expenses would also require board chair approval. Elected officials would be exempt from the requirements, and Dill clarified the changes are not being proposed in reaction to commissioner travel.

Still, the additional layer of approval and oversight represents a “major change,” with travel previously approved at the department head level, Dill said. Department heads do not currently require advance approval for their own trips.

Under the draft policy, any expense exceeding the U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates for lodging, meals and incidental expenses would require written explanation for consideration during approval of travel.

The county will use per diem rates for meal expenses and restrict government credit card usage solely to the advance purchase of airfare and hotel stays, Dill said.

The proposed policy changes would also result in more comprehensive public reporting of overnight travel via the county’s online “Open Book” page, which now includes information like credit card charges and salaries.

If adopted, the new procedures would require basic details about a trip, like the reason for travel, destination and total cost of attendance be submitted to county finance officials after a trip, compiled into a report and published quarterly on the Open Book page.

The new policy, geared toward creating “safeguards” and restoring public trust, would still undergo review from county staff and commissioners, and it’s possible more changes will be necessary, Dill said.

Some county leaders began suggesting amendments during the meeting. Ann Arbor Commissioner Yousef Rabhi said he would prefer a temporary travel moratorium for employees. He also suggested that under the new policy the full county board be tasked with approving any travel over $5,000, rather than just the chair.

Commissioners debated the amendment, some suggesting the requirement could prove cumbersome given the board’s meeting schedule. In general, Dill said he was uncomfortable involving elected commissioners in day-to-day operations, as they hire the administrator to manage them.

Ypsilanti Commissioner Annie Somerville said the policy is important given issues raised with some staff travel, but suggested the board table discussion of the item given the meeting had stretched into the early morning hours.

Ann Arbor Commissioner Andy LaBarre motioned to postpone consideration of the policy changes until the board’s next meeting, and the motion passed. The board is next set to meet on July 10.

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