San Marcos Record, San Marcos, TX

October 27, 2009

Not an insult, just business

By Rowe Ray

The San Marcos City Council finds itself split on the issue of third party review of spending as it pertains to a compensation package expected to soon be approved.

The measure would allow the council to take the money ($500 a month for council members and $750 a month for the mayor) and accept it as an addition to their reimbursable expense account or refuse to take it at all.

With all due respect to present and future council members, the more transparency in government we can have ... especially when it comes to compensation and expense accounts ... the better.

This is especially true with a new system like the one this city is now initiating.

Taxpayers are curious how this compensation plan will work, and they deserve adequate assurances that it is operating as it should.

A quarterly third party review of this system speaks not to the honesty and integrity of our elected officials, but simply to the important public business at hand.

It is a business which works best for everyone when the sun shines brightly on all the fine print. RHR