PORT ANGELES — Publicly funded trips overseas as part of sister city programs are OK, as long as proper procedures are followed, said Mindy Chambers, spokeswoman for the Washington State Auditor’s Office.
“Generally, if it’s budgeted properly and properly documented and receipted, the trip should be OK,” Chambers said.
“Whether people think it’s a good idea or not, that’s up to the City Council to decide if it’s an appropriate use of public funds,” she said.
Funding for the trips must be included in the government’s annual budget, Chambers said.
Proper documentation also must be presented, including the original receipts for hotels and meals that would show the public purpose, she said.
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The rest of the story appears in Wednesday’s Peninsula Daily News.