Five (of ten) members of a town council returned from the three-day national convention of town council members in Las Vegas and submitted their expenses for reimbursement. The bills they presented indicated that they had stayed in luxurious suites, had lavish dinners with extra-ordinarily expensive wines, and spent freely in nightclubs.
Although the town has no specific policy on allowable travel costs, William Hamilton, business officer, knew illegitimate expenses when he saw them and these were clearly beyond the bounds of propriety. He expressed his concerns to the town manager (who is appointed by the council), who advised, ''Forget it. I have bigger battles that I want to fight with the council.''