Council members say no to Gillam travel again

YOUNGSTOWN — City council finance committee members say they won’t authorize a request by Councilman Artis Gillam Sr. to cover his expenses for an upcoming national conference.

That’s because, they say, Gillam owes the city close to $800 for an unauthorized trip the councilman took earlier this month using his city credit card.

City council’s three-member finance committee will meet Wednesday to consider approving requests from Gillam, D-1st, as well as Councilmen Rufus Hudson, D-2nd, and Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, to pay for their trip to Washington, D.C., for the five-day National League of Cities’ annual conference that begins March 10.

All seven members of council could attend the conference, but only three are going.

The city has already paid $410 each to the National League of Cities for the three councilmen, whose terms on council end Dec. 31, to attend the conference.

For the complete story, ready Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.