Rio Arriba County spent $1,320 to send Sheriff Tommy Rodella and deputy Cindy Quintana to a conference in Las Vegas, Nev., County pay vouchers show.
The County reimbursed Rodella $920 in two checks for per-diem expenses over March 7 to 11 for a trip to the 2011 Western States Sheriff’s Association Conference at the Riviera Hotel and Casino on the strip in Las Vegas, Nev., the records state. These expenses were $215 per day, except for the final day at $30, plus five $6 tips. The vouchers do not include receipts.
County Finance Director Christine Montaño said out-of-state travel reimbursements are set by statewide travel and per-diem guidelines.
Montaño said Quintana was also reimbursed for this out-of-state travel, but she would not say how much that was without first getting a public records request.
County Commission Chairman Felipe Martinez approved the travel, according to a note by Montaño in the documents. He did not return a call seeking comment.
The County also paid $400 to the Association, the records state. Registration for Rodella and Quintana to attend the event was $300, and Rodella enrolled as a member in the organization for $100.
The conference included a vendors area, discussions on jails, search and rescue, and public lands and livestock, as well as leadership talks with titles such as “The Wounded Leader: Stumbling Toward Significance During Tough Times.”
The Association acts as a lobbying group in Washington, D.C., according to its website.
Rodella and Quintana did not return calls seeking comment.