Watch for them. They'll be wearing those big hats
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City says it will pay $5,600 for trip to F1 race in England
Thursday, June 28, 2012, 09:00 PM
A trip to England for Austin leaders to see the arrangements for a Formula One race there next week will cost the city $5,556.
City officials announced that total — the cost of four coach airplane tickets — and a few other details in a hastily-arranged news conference after the American-Statesman reported late Wednesday that a half-dozen leaders would be taking a trip that critics have called a junket.
Mayor Lee Leffingwell, City Manager Marc Ott, Police Chief Art Acevedo, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr and two other high-level officials are going to Silverstone, a permanent F1 race track in the English countryside, from July 5 to 9. City officials said Circuit of the Americas, which is organizing the local race planned for Nov. 16-18,will pay for part of the trip, including the lodging for all six officials and flights for Leffingwell and Ott.
The four will be joined by Sue Edwards, the assistant city manager for development services, and Rodney Gonzales, the deputy director of economic growth and redevelopment services.
In the news conference Thursday, Edwards, Gonzales and Deputy City Manager Michael McDonald defended the trip and said city leaders went to Arlington during the Super Bowl in 2011 to also learn about preparing for a major sporting event. They said the city will be working hard to accommodate about 120,000 guests in November during the Austin-area’s first F1 race and plan to meet with local officials near the race in England.
Council Members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo both told the American-Statesman on Wednesday they were questioning city management about the trip.
“Public money should not be used to fund trips to England in support of the Formula 1 race. The City of Austin has many pressing needs, and it would be inappropriate to use our scarce dollars for this purpose,” Tovo said Wednesday, noting she knew nothing more about the visit than what a Statesman reporter told her office.
In response to questions from council members, Ott sent a memo to the council Thursday detailing the trip and provided an itinerary for the three full days they will spend around the race.