By: Diane Benjamin
Should all the “business” breakfasts and lunches consumed by staff and the elected be called additional compensation, and therefore taxed?
When only the “preferred” aldermen ever consume, how can the City claim they have a “legitimate business purpose” as defined by law? What is the “legitimate purpose” for last Monday’s pizza party, the staff was hungry?
The Edgar County Watchdogs have been mining corruption at the College of DuPage since at least 2014. The president was forced out without his planned golden parachute, and three Board members are now refusing to attend meetings in protest. They may be in more trouble:
“The IRS determined that “a significant and substantial number” of Waterleaf restaurant meals charged on college house accounts — 44 percent in 2013 — did not have a business purpose or had insufficient documentation. As a result, an IRS audit found, they should be considered taxable employee compensation.” (Tribune article)
I wonder how that is different from Bloomington’s “light suppers”?
Read more from the Watchdogs website: http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2016/01/college-of-dupage-thank-you-irs/
And then of course with (proper) documentation that too should be available to the citizens for review….You met with who, for what??? These lunches are b.s. Meet on regular office time and let people provide their own lunches. I am willing to bet that this lunch time is considered work time.
The lunches are for soliciting votes
Article VIII of our State Constitution
SECTION 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
(a) Public funds, property or credit shall be used only for public purposes.
(b) The State, units of local government and school districts shall incur obligations for payment or make payments from public funds only as authorized by law or ordinance.
http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2015/11/public-disconnect-public-funds-used-for-personal-purchases/
So, who is going to compile the food list and send it to the IRS?
I’ll compile the list. Fiscal year or calendar year? How does one go about sending the information to the IRS?
Calendar year do W-2’s are easier. I will look into the rest
W-2’s on who? Half the employees eat on the taxpayer’s money.
It’s compensation for all of them. Make a list of names too
Isn’t a meeting of THREE or more covered under the Open Meetings Act? Otherwise they could discuss using the Militia to steal flamingo feathers under cover of darkness, and thereby deprive the public of “quality of life”..
since they don’t consider it an Open Meetings Act violation – it serves no business purpose!
They are discussing City business at those 3 person committee meetings. Budget task force thank you party was compensation for consultation. How can someone describe a restaurant meal “for one” as a working breakfast or lunch?
When a person TRAVELS (as I used to) for BUSINESS, they save the receipts (Hotel, meals, gas, airline tickets, parking, tolls, etc) for the company, as they ARE tax deductible, so if these folks are indeed doing meals on CITY (read- OUR) money, WHO gets the deduction, and WHO has to declare it as “compensation”? And WHERE is the AUDITOR? This is accounting 110.
The fleecing of Bloomington.