Members of the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors have been reimbursed between $40 and $1,733 over a nine-month period for county-related mileage submitted for reimbursement to the county administrator’s office.

County supervisors discussed their mileage — which is subsidized by the county’s budget — during their June 13 board meeting.

According to submitted mileage records from July 7, 2016 to March 30, 2017, supervisors have submitted a collective total of 11,135 miles and have been reimbursed a collective total of $4,353.19.

Buffalo District Supervisor C.R. “Bob” Timmons submitted the greatest mileage at 3,227 miles during the time period, being reimbursed $1,733.17. Farmville District 801 Supervisor and Board Vice Chairman Pattie Cooper-Jones submitted the least mileage at 74 miles, being reimbursed $39.96.

During their meeting, supervisors discussed potentially including their mileage records in their board meeting packets to inform the public.

Supervisors are reimbursed quarterly, or once every three months, for miles driven on the job. Each supervisor submits the number of miles they have driven and the reason for each trip. County Administrator Wade Bartlett said the reimbursements are dependent on what the supervisors record and present at the end of the three months.

Cooper-Jones initiated the discussion, noting that a step in making the records more accessible could prevent abuses of the reimbursement board members receive for tracking their traveled miles.

Cooper-Jones noted that Farmville District 101 Supervisor Howard Simpson had more than 1,000 miles recorded for the first quarter of 2017, noting the district he represented was in Farmville.

Simpson, according to records, has recorded a total of 3,042 miles between July 2016 and March, with 1,149 miles being in the first quarter of 2017. The total reimbursement provided, calculated by multiplying the total number of miles in a three-month period by 54 cents, is $1,710.52.

“I live in the town,” Cooper-Jones said. “(Farmville District 701 Supervisor Jim) Wilck lives in the town. Mr. Simpson lives in the town, and I do understand his district goes further out, but to me this just seems excessive, and it’s not just started. It’s been going on for a long time,” Cooper-Jones said.

She said Timmons often travels long distances for his district, and Hampden District Supervisor Odessa Pride is attending classes out of town. For in-town members, Cooper-Jones said greater accountability may be needed.

“I don’t think it’s fair to taxpayers, and for me. We do get paid for being on the board,” Cooper-Jones said. “And I can understand people travel long distances, come a long way to get paid for coming, but we live right in town. We live right in town.”

Simpson, during the meeting, said he records all mileages that are work-related.

“(The mileages are) board-connected,” Simpson said during the meeting.

Cooper-Jones, between July 2016 and March, has been reimbursed $39.96 for a submitted 74 miles driven.

Lockett District Supervisor and Board Chairman Robert M. “Bobby” had recorded 170 miles during this time period, receiving a reimbursement of $91.35.

Leigh District Supervisor Jerry Townsend recorded 2,270 miles, with a reimbursement of $1,221.55.

Pride recorded 1,503 miles and was reimbursed $809.85. Timmons recorded driving 3,227 miles and was reimbursed $1,221.55.

Prospect District Supervisor Calvin Gray recorded driving 727 miles and was reimbursed $391.70.

Wilck recorded 122.1 miles during the time span and was reimbursed $65.61.

Errands or meetings recorded include the Virginia Association of Counties Day in Richmond, board of supervisors’ meetings, the August ribbon cutting of the Route 632 Bridge on Falkland Road and additional activities, including traveling to the courthouse and the county administrator’s office.

Bartlett noted board members who travel in or outside their district are encouraged to record their mileages for job duties.

“If there is, as an example, a zoning special use request in the Prospect District, all board members may go and look at that property,” Bartlett said. “It’s not just the representative for Prospect. They may ask for mileage to be reimbursed because that is in the line of their duties. …”

This article has been corrected from its original version.