On recent three-day trip to Washington, D.C., on behalf of the city of Covington, expense records for reimbursement to Mayor Candace Watkins include $3.84 for a meal at McDonald’s and $20 taxi from the hotel to the airport. In fact, the hotel and airfare ran about $1,500 while meals and taxis totaled $148.46.

Watkins was in Washington to meet with legislators to get funding for a capital improvement project involving the Champagne Beverage property in the middle of the city. Watkins visited legislators in Washington, D.C. because a personal visit in Washington is more effective, she said.

Watkins said she has a budget for meetings and conventions to cover trips such as these. “I’ve only lost one receipt in five years,” Watkins said. “I’ve never exceeded the budget and usually don’t spend the whole budget.”

For example, the budget was $5,000 for 2007, and the actual expenditure was $4,696.01. She said this year, 2008, she may be close to using the entire budget, also $5,000, a first in her administration.

Watkins traveled alone to the Capitol and dined on such fancy cuisine as McDonald’s, SoHo Café ($5.21), Great American Bagel at the Cleveland Airport ($4.68) and the District Grill ($15.05) in Washington, her most expensive meal. The itemized reimbursement request also contained $3 toll for the Causeway to get to the airport. On her desk at City Hall is the toy that came with her meal at McDonald’s.

While documentation, travel policies, credit card use and accounting practices have come under fire recently in neighboring cities, Watkins said Covington’s government follows guidelines set by the state. Receipts have always been required for reimbursement and accounting purposes.

Covington city policy also allows the mayor use of a car she is allowed to use personally as part of her compensation package. She is the only person in Covington government allowed personal use of a city owned vehicle, and she said she pays income tax on the personal use of the car. She said she keeps a log on automobile use, separating mileage for city business and mileage for personal use.

Watkins also has a city credit card, as do four other key members of the city staff. The authorized users of the credit card include City Administrator Beverly Gariepy, Assistant City Administrator Alyssa Faciane, head of purchasing Karen Whiteside and Police Captain Chris Lang. Everyone is required to attach receipts for expenditures stating the names of people at the meeting or an itemized invoice showing what was purchased. Each person is answerable to their department’s budget, Watkins said.

There is a separate gas credit card, and the city uses a “fleet management” system. Each time gas is charged, the identification number and odometer reading must be entered.

In a city the size of Covington, with a population of less than 10,000, every penny counts and is accounted for in an old-fashioned accounting practice — receipts, Watkins said.