While Deputies languish in some of the lowest wages in all 58 counties and SEIU workers toil at near minimum wage positions, the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send an alternate, 2nd District Supervisor Valerie Starkey to Philadelphia, this Summer for the National Association of Counties (NACO) Annual Conference. Starkey joins 3rd District Supervisor Chris Howard on the junket.Though no costs were listed in the prepared Board Report, the impact on an already beleaguered budget is estimated to be approximately $8,000 between both supervisors in airfare, hotels, meals and registration fees.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');The recipient of the Second selection, Supervisor Starkey acknowledged her lack of transparency in not reporting the costs but defended the value to send her to the City of Brotherly Love, July 11-14 for the NACO Conference. Starkey underscored her interests were quite different than Howard’s. Starkey cited her interests in Programs and Emergency Services.Supervisor Howard similarly defended his attendance, stating his interests were in land-use, Reimbursement for Payments in Lieu of Property Taxes (PILT) and funding for Secure Rural Schools.Neither shared off-site streaming of the conference which would offer substantial cost savings. Norma Williams of the SEIU 1021 Union, currently in negotiations with the County stated she believed the county would have been better if the matter had been addressed at a later date, postponing consideration until an itinerary and actual costs were known. The delay would have ensured both public disclosure and an opportunity for comment before the Board rendered a decision. Williams continued, “I want to raise an important point about cost-saving measures within the county. Many County employees already participate in webinars and conferences virtually, even when there is a hybrid option to save on travel costs. I believe it would be beneficial to extend this practice to county supervisors. This practice would be more prudent and lead to substantial savings for the County in the long run.” Both supervisors did not share the value of the conference on the average everyday Del Norter and the value of the junkets but underscored the menu of options to attend the many conferences was extensive and difficult for a single supervisor to adequately cover the event.The vote was 5-0 to send the duo back east.In other County business, supervisors approved and adopted a resolution to retain cannabis retail and manufacturing transactions approved by voters in the passage of Measure B. Supervisors Wilson, Short and Borges voted YES…Supervisors Starkey and Howard voted NO.The Board voted 5-0 to approve 19 items on the Consent Agenda.The Board meets again, Tuesday February 11 at 10AM, in the Flynn Center. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });