MORRIS PANNER Herald Staff Writer

Jet setting around the country, say the politicians doing the jet setting, is a vital part of their job.

Jet setting around the country, say some taxpayers who are footing the bills, is just an excuse to party on someone else's money.
Whomever is right, in Northwest Dade, the bigger the city, the bigger the jet.

"I have to be the city's lobbyist," said Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, who said he spends more than $7,000 on airplane tickets each year. "Someone has to lobby for state and federal funds. I am proud of what I have accomplished through the traveling."

City officials are unnanimous in saying their jaunts -- whether dashes to Tallahassee or marathons to Africa -- benefit their cities. But that's where the similarities end. Each community allots different amounts of money in its city budget for travel, and holds leaders to different accounting standards.

In Opa-locka, expense accounts are a hotly contested topic.

Each council member annually receives $2,000 for travel expenses and the mayor receives an additional $2,400 in discretionary funds.

But since the fiscal year began in October, city records show Mayor John Riley and Commissioners Brian Hooten and Stuart Susaneck have nearly exhausted their funds on various trips, including a November jaunt to the national League of Cities convention in Indianapolis and an October trip to the Florida League of Cities gathering in Tampa.

City Records show Riley has spent $3,174 in city money on air fare, meals, hotel accomodations, miscellaneous board meetings and other functions.

Riley, who spent $2,000 of his own money to attend a world conference of mayors meeting in Africa, said he has spent less than $1,500 and has reimbursed the city for the rest. But that money has yet to be credited to his account.

Susaneck has spent more than $2,500 and and Hooten has spent more than $2,000, according to city records. Hooten blamed the quick spending of this year's travel money on the scheduling of the state and national meetings.

City Manager Danny Alvarez said commissioners could vote themselves more money. But eventually, Alvarez said, the commissioners would have to decide just what value their travel carries. "You go to some of these conferences and you pick up some good stuff," Alvarez said. "(Traveling) is hard to put a value on, yet it has a value."

In Miami Springs, traveling is hardly on the agenda. City Council members receive $200 a month for all their expenses, and the mayor receives $250.

In 1984, only Mayor John Cavalier did any traveling -- holding that to three-day trips to Tallahassee, which kept him well within his account limit.

In other small northwest Dade communities like Medley and Virginia Gardens, travel expenses aren't even an item in the budget.

"We don't do much socializing," said Medley Mayor Tobie Wilson. Wilson last December was reimbursed for a trip to Tallahassee. It was the first time he had traveled on city money since being elected in 1978.

In Hialeah Gardens, travel expenses for the City Council members are limited -- $3,100 split five ways. Councilman Stephen Brown was the only person to use any money -- one trip to the Florida League of Cities convention.

The mayor, however, gets more money -- $3,000 -- and his travel has been more controversial.

Mayor Daniel Riccio drew criticism from council members when he traveled to Costa Rica last March for five days and spent #393 without consulting the council.

"I went to encourage trade betweent the two cities," Riccio said. "Already a delegation from Costa Rica has come to our city. I think that shows it was worth the effort." In Hialeah, travel expenses are part of the city officials' discretionary expenses -- each council member receives $1,200 a month and the mayor receives $1,700 to use as he pleases.

Unlike other cities, the mayor and the council members in Hialeah are not held accountable for their expense money. But once the money runs out, they have to pay for anything else themselves. Council members say they spend almost all of their expense money on non-travel related expenses.

Only two of the seven council members said they traveled. Council President Andres Mejides and Councilman Silvio Cardoso said they both spent about 10 to 15 percent of their expenses on travel.

Councilman Ray Robinson would not comment on his travel expenses, and Councilman Sebastian Dorrego would not return four phone calls.

Mayor Martinez, who says he has to travel as often as once a week during the Florida legislative session, said the final test for travel expenses are how much they bring the city.

"I don't go just for fun," Martinez said. "Most of the time, I take day trips because I need the time back at City Hall.

"Hialeah has gotten a lot from my travels. If the city didn't gain, I wouldn't go."