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Hernando Today

Adkins Pays His Own Way

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 27, 2008

Hernando Today

BROOKSVILLE - When he ran for county commissioner, James Adkins loudly proclaimed his stance as a fiscal conservative.

The county was in dire straits and needed to rein in its budget, the Republican vying for the District 5 seat said.

Adkins, who defeated Democrat Chris Kingsley, now says he intends to practice what he preached.

He will turn down the cell phone issued to him.

"I personally have my own cell phone, and I don't need a county one," he says.

He will not turn in any travel vouchers for business trips outside the county.

"I will pay for my own travel," Adkins says. "It's not going to be no big cost to me because I don't think I need to travel that much to do my job. I feel that I (can) pay my own way to places I need to go to. And if I don't need to go, I won't go."

And, he says he will not take the government-issued health insurance.

"I have my own coverage through the Veterans and Blue Shield," he says.

Adkins hasn't added up how much of a savings it will represent.

However, commissioners are entitled to an annual cell phone stipend of $600, according to the county's Human Resources Department. They are also reimbursed 44.5-cents per mile to cover out-of-county travel expenses. The county budgets $9,600 annually for health insurance.

Adkins said he is not asking his four colleagues to follow his example. They all have different circumstances, he said.

But he says for him, the annual state-issued salary of $60,406 a year is enough.

"We get compensated for a job and I'm going to do my part," the 59-year-old retired Brooksville fire chief says. "I'm not going to require it or ask that other commissioners do this."
County Commissioner Rose Rocco called her colleague's actions "admirable."
Rocco said she too has turned down the county's health insurance because she is covered under her husband's plan.

She said her travel expenses are slight.
Rocco said she does accept the cell phone stipend because she needs to be accessible to her constituents, department managers and the media.

"It's part of the job," she said. "That's a tool that you need."

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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