NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – County Commissioner Brian Berger has gained a reputation among his fellow commissioners in Wilmington for his tardiness, from being five minutes late to meetings to several hours for a scheduled court appearance.
It might be difficult to quantify how the commissioner's lateness affects his constituents, but WECT.com is beginning to put a dollar amount on it.
Commissioner Berger arrived a day late to two conferences in 2011 that the county expected him to attend.
Both instances resulted in a reservation for a room that no one used, according to information from the clerk to the board.
The first time involved a legislative trip to Washington, DC.
The county booked Berger a room from March 4 to March 9, but he did not check in until March 5. The hotel charged the county $242.74 for the unused room.
The second time he checked in a day late was in Cabarrus County for the North Carolina Association for County Commissioners Annual Conference. Then, his reservation was booked from August 17 to August 21, but he did not arrive until August 18. The second unused room cost $145.45.
In response to his two missed reservations, Commissioner Berger said he drove to the conferences early in the morning, instead of staying over night. He said he is one of the most frugal members of the board of commissioners and is one of the most responsible when it comes to using tax payer money.
Berger said he pays for food and gasoline out-of-pocket on road trips in order to reduce the expense to the county.
This brief report on Commissioner Berger is part of a larger look into the costs associated with the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners.
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County Commissioner Brian Berger has gained a reputation in Wilmington for his tardiness.
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