City spends $2,617 to eat during stay in Greenville

City officials and several of their guest speakers didn't dine at a fancy five-star restaurant during their workshop last month at the Greenville Hyatt - they just ran up a bill like they did.

The city was charged $2,617 for meals, including three breakfasts and two lunches as well as three morning and two afternoon snacks, according to information provided by the city.

The Hyatt prepared and served the meals.

The cost per lunch was $26.95. The lunch included soup, salad and New York-style deli sandwiches. The price per lunch was inflated slightly to cover the $200 rental fee to eat the meal in a private dining area.

The cost of the buffet breakfast was $14.95 per individual. The buffet included items such as pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon and sausage.

The hotel provided croissants, juice, coffee and bottled water during the morning break period at a cost of $1.59 per individual and an afternoon snack of soft drinks, bottled water and cookies at a cost of about $2.20 per person.

Mayor Henry Jolly was joined by six council members, city administrator James Taylor, City Clerk LeighAnn Turner, finance director Ginny Wallace and six department heads at the 3-day, 2-night event. The city also paid for the meals for an Appalachian Council of Governments official who served as the workshop facilitator and several guest speakers.

City officials paid out of their own pockets for dinner.

Jolly said he doesn't have a problem with the meal tab, since the meeting room rental fee and the cost to serve the meals by the hotel staff were figured into the total food cost.

"The food was very good, and it was all you could eat," he added.

Jolly defended the city's decision to travel out of town for its workshop, but said he would have preferred to stage it at the Spartanburg Marriott.

"I still stand by my conviction that it's a workshop not a retreat and that it's a plus to get alone by yourselves and not be bothered by the daily grind," the mayor said.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

$26.95

The cost for a lunch that consisted of soup, salad and New York-style deli sandwich.

$14.95

The cost of a buffet breakfast that offered pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon and sausage.