County Leaders Promise To Ask More Questions After Food Bill

In February, Mecklenburg County commissioners went to the Ballantyne Resort for their annual strategic planning retreat where they focused on issues like budget cuts.

They stayed overnight, but the resort did not charge for the rooms.

Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts said the retreat was invaluable and the location was good.

“We've got five brand new commissioners. We've got economic challenges that we've never seen before, and if you want to have real conversation and have a setting that allows that, you can't just go to the Motor Inn,” she said.

But Eyewitness News wondered about the other expenses from the retreat, so a month ago, anchor Blair Miller requested the expense report.

According to the documents, the county spent nearly $10,000 on food at the resort. That was for 28 people over two days, which averages out to $171 a person per day for food alone.

That number included a lunch buffet for $35.50 per person, and a barbecue dinner buffet at $69.95 per person.

And, even though those were buffet meals, the resort added a 22 percent service charge, which totaled nearly $1,599.95.

“The amount of money we spent on food is a waste of money,” said County Commissioner Bill James.

James said he and the other commissioners were never told about the specific cost of food, but he acknowledges he didn't ask.

“If I had known in advance that it was going to cost $70 a plate for barbecue -- that's ridiculous. I don't know how anybody would think that's reasonable,” he said.

Eyewitness News compared that daily food average of $171 per person to that for other government retreats. It's more than double the $73.95 per person that the City of Charlotte spent for the city council's recent retreat to the U.S. National Whitewater Center. The Mecklenburg County Board of Education had a shorter retreat at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools owned facilities and spent just $80 total for snacks.

Last year's county commission retreat was at Freedom Park, where the total cost for food was about $1,500.

“When I asked about having it a Freedom Park like we have the last several years, I wasn't on the winning end of the discussion,” James said.

County Manager Harry Jones approved the decision to hold this year's retreat at Ballantyne Resort. Monday afternoon, he told Eyewitness News he didn't know ahead of time how much those meals would cost.

“(When) I found out specifically the cost of the meal was after the conference,” he said.

“And what'd you think about that? Did you think it was too much?” Miller asked.

“No. It is what it is. It was what was charged us. What I've said is (that) the cost to us of food and services, I’m OK with that,” Jones said.

He said that’s because what commissioners accomplished at the retreat made the cost worthwhile.

“We saved $18 million for next year. You can focus on the $9,500 for food, but we saved $18 million for next year,” Jones said.

Jones said he still stands by the decision to have the retreat and meals at Ballantyne Resort, but he said for future retreats, he'll ask about food costs upfront.

James said he'll do the same. He also said he wants the county to implement rules to prevent excessive per-meal charges.

PDF: Retreat Food Expense Report