In 2014, the City Administrators office paid an average of $1,000 for 25 of the 28 members of its staff to have an iPhone and iPad provided by the city, according to documents released by the DC City Council.
While $25,000 might not seem like a lot of money in the city’s $12 billion budget, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said those expenses add up when applied across the whole government.
“Not every government employee needs to have a cell phone,” he said.
The Mayor’s Office paid for nearly 90 of its staff members to be provided with cell phones and tablets while the Office of the Secretary provided them for more than 20 employees.
City Administrator Rashad Young said it is important for critical members of his staff to have cell phones so they can be reached after business hours, though low level employees, including staff assistants, also receive city provided cell phones in many agencies.
“I believe you’ve called me on my cell phone, and you won’t find any charges to the council,” Mendelson told Young during a council hearing Thursday.
Each agency makes its own protocols for which employees get cell phones, though Mendelson said he wants to make sure the district isn’t wasting money when it could be used in other places.
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