If you’ve read the cover story this week — “Picking up the Tab” by Metro Spirit reporter Stacey Eidson on page 14 and that ran Sunday, June 14, on the metrospirit.com website — you’re probably baffled by the fact that the Columbia County Board of Commissioners and department directors recently spent more than $3,500 of taxpayers’ money on a dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Savannah.

Well, rumor is that there’s more to that story than just the steak and sides.

A few people who are familiar with these dinners have suggested that there is also a good bit of drinking going on during these nights out on the town.

And we’re not talking iced tea, folks.

But, according to Columbia County’s policy manual, alcoholic beverages are a “non-allowable” expense.

So, how do some of the commissioners and employees get around that policy?

Surely, they pick up their own liquor tab, right?

After all, most of those folks can definitely afford it.

Apparently, they don’t.

Rumor is a county vendor, who bills Columbia County for work, picks up the liquor bill and somehow gets reimbursed. But, let’s just say, he’s not reimbursed by the employees or commissioners who have enjoyed a few drinks.

Where is the money coming from? Can you guess?

Hmmm…

If the rumors are true, the commissioners should officially tell the department heads that the party is over and to pick up their own liquor tab next time around.

But that doesn’t seem to be the only rule bent on these trips.

Another concern is the question of whether or not the local media is notified of these planning advance workshops that are held out of town.

Georgia law states that when a quorum of a governing body meets, the public must be notified and the meeting has to be opened to the public.

Under Georgia’s Open Meetings laws, the public and the media should have been notified of the planning advance workshop in Savannah.

Some would argue the public should also be informed about the Ruth’s Chris Steak House gathering as well since there was a quorum. But under Georgia law, a quorum of commissioners are allowed to gather at a social event just as long as no official business is discussed.

That being said, who’s to say what is discussed if the public or the press aren’t allowed in the room.

But, then again, not many folks in the general public could afford or justify a pricey meal at Ruth’s Chris Steak House anyway. After all, the public doesn’t have access to a handy-dandy county credit card.

Special meetings like the planning advance workshop also require at least 24 hours notice to the public, according to Georgia law.

When a Metro Spirit reporter asked Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross if the media was notified of the planning advance workshop, he said, “Absolutely.”

“It’s a public meeting,” Cross said. “The press is welcome or anybody else that wants to come.”

That may be, but the Insider can say for a fact that the Metro Spirit was not notified of the special meeting. But we are not the “legal organ” for the county, so if the Columbia County News-Times was notified of the meeting, the newspaper simply chose not to attend.

Of course, one of the easiest ways to notify the public of a meeting is to include the date, time, location and a link to the agenda on the county’s monthly calendar.

Again, the Insider can say for a fact that the advance planning workshop in Savannah was not listed on the county’s April calendar.

The only events listed for April 18 were the J.D. Paugh Memorial Concert and the Music that Matters Benefit Concert.

The Metro Spirit attempted to contact the county attorney, Chris Driver, this past week about some of these issues, but he was out of town and could not be reached for comment. Columbia County Clerk of Commission DeAnna Brooks also did not respond to calls or an email regarding the public notice of the meeting.

Needless to say, it appears that Columbia County may not be following state law or possibly its own policies regarding these out-of-town trips.

Commissioners better get a handle on this situation because now folks are definitely watching and they don’t like what they see.