A Long Island fire district’s taxpayer-funded travel expense account is being questioned as its commissioner traveled to a Disney World resort twice in four months for conventions.
According to an I-Team investigation broadcast by NCB4 NY, Uniondale Fire District Commissioner Richard Harris traveled to Orlando in January and again in April to attend conferences. In both instances he stayed at the Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort 15 miles away from where the conferences were being held and paid significantly more for accommodations than the conference venues.
According to the i-Team investigation, taxpayers in Uniondale spent between $350 and $500 per night for the commissioner’s stay at the resort when booking at the convention hotels would have cost between $145 and $180 per night.
Harris told the I-Team that the full board of fire commissioners signed off on his trip and that on one trip, the conference hotel was fully booked. He also told the television station that he spent most of his days at the convention hotels in seminars learning about firefighting and fire equipment.
Harris, who has been on disability and unable to respond to calls for about a year, said he is allowed to take classes and it just happened they were in Florida. He told the television station that he wasn’t in Las Vegas gambling.
The I-Team reported, however, that some of his fellow fire commissioners have traveled to Las Vegas this year for conferences.
In fact, the television station reported that Uniondale fire commissioners have traveled to six fire conventions, in Nevada, Connecticut and New York, all at casino properties.
In their defense, the commissioners issued a joint statement to the television station which read: “In order to provide department members with the latest in training techniques, materials and resources, the district enrolls members and staff in a variety of educational seminars.”
In 2011, an audit by the NY Comptroller found Uniondale fire commissioners made $44,000 in questionable credit card purchases and failed to properly monitor the use of official district vehicles.
