B-158768, JUN. 13, 1966
Highlights
REQUESTS OUR DECISION WHETHER THE AMOUNT OF $117.50 STATED ON THE ENCLOSED TRAVEL VOUCHER PROPERLY IS FOR PAYMENT TO MR. WHICH WAS ISSUED TO HIM FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING LEAVE BETWEEN TOURS OF DUTY AT JUNEAU. SUCH ITINERARY TO CHICAGO AS THE DESTINATION LEAVE POINT WAS AUTHORIZED IN LIEU OF TRAVEL TO PITTSBURGH. THE SUBMITTED PAPERS DO NOT INDICATE ANY OFFICIAL DUTY WAS TO BE PERFORMED AT SAN FRANCISCO. THOSE POINTS ARE FOR EXCLUSION IN COMPUTING THE COMPARATIVE COSTS OF PROPER TRAVEL TO CHICAGO. IN HIS CASE ONLY THE CHICAGO DESTINATION IS APPLICABLE FOR PURPOSES OF LEAVE. THAT IS TO SAY IT APPEARS THAT IN ARRANGING FOR THE . THE SITUATION HERE IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THOSE CONSIDERED IN OUR DECISIONS AT 37 COMP.
B-158768, JUN. 13, 1966
TO AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, BUREAU OF MINES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR:
YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 18, 1966, REQUESTS OUR DECISION WHETHER THE AMOUNT OF $117.50 STATED ON THE ENCLOSED TRAVEL VOUCHER PROPERLY IS FOR PAYMENT TO MR. RAYMOND P. MALONEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION NO. J-T- 1 DATED JULY 9, 1965, WHICH WAS ISSUED TO HIM FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING LEAVE BETWEEN TOURS OF DUTY AT JUNEAU, ALASKA, IN CONSIDERATION OF HIS AGREEMENT DATED JULY 14, 1965, PURSUANT TO PUB.L. 737 APPROVED AUGUST 31, 1954, 5 U.S.C. 73B-3 (A).
THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND THE AGREEMENT INDICATED THAT MR. MALONEY COULD TRAVEL AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE BY "COMMON CARRIER" FROM JUNEAU VIA SAN FRANCISCO-RENO-DENVER-MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA, TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND RETURN VIA SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, TO JUNEAU. SUCH ITINERARY TO CHICAGO AS THE DESTINATION LEAVE POINT WAS AUTHORIZED IN LIEU OF TRAVEL TO PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, HIS ACTUAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE DESIGNATED AT THE TIME OF HIS APPOINTMENT OR TRANSFER TO JUNEAU.
THE SUBMITTED PAPERS DO NOT INDICATE ANY OFFICIAL DUTY WAS TO BE PERFORMED AT SAN FRANCISCO, RENO OR DENVER. HENCE, THOSE POINTS ARE FOR EXCLUSION IN COMPUTING THE COMPARATIVE COSTS OF PROPER TRAVEL TO CHICAGO. IN HIS CASE ONLY THE CHICAGO DESTINATION IS APPLICABLE FOR PURPOSES OF LEAVE, UNDER THE CITED LAW, WHICH IT APPEARS HE REQUESTED IN LIEU OF A USUALLY TRAVELED DIRECT ROUND-TRIP ROUTE FROM JUNEAU TO PITTSBURGH. THAT IS TO SAY IT APPEARS THAT IN ARRANGING FOR THE ,HOME LEAVE" MR. MALONEY CHOSE NOT TO GO TO PITTSBURGH AS HIS DESTINATION POINT FOR ANY PART OF HIS LEAVE BUT, IN LIEU THEREOF, REQUESTED TRAVEL AUTHORITY TO GO ON LEAVE EASTWARD ONLY AS FAR AS CHICAGO. THE SITUATION HERE IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THOSE CONSIDERED IN OUR DECISIONS AT 37 COMP. GEN. 119; 39 ID. 337 AND 41 ID. 553.
UNDER THE STATUTORY REGULATIONS AN EMPLOYEE MAY ELECT A LESS DISTANT LOCATION FOR LEAVE PURPOSES. SEE SECTION 4.2, BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56. HOWEVER, NEITHER THE STATUTE NOR THE REGULATIONS CONTEMPLATE TRAVEL TO AN ALTERNATE LEAVE POINT AND THENCE TO VARIOUS OTHER POINTS AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE AS SUGGESTED BY MR. MALONEY.
IN THE CASE PRESENTED THE COST OF DIRECT JET COACH ROUND-TRIP TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN JUNEAU AND CHICAGO, VIA SEATTLE, IS $330.90 PLUS PER DIEM OF $40 (1 1/4 DAYS EACH WAY AT $16 PER DAY), AND TAXICAB COSTS OF $4.50 INCURRED AT SEATTLE. THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTIVE DIRECT ROUND-TRIP COST, THEREFORE, WAS $375.40. FOR TRAVEL AS PERFORMED TRANSPORTATION COSTS OF $262.40 WERE INCURRED ON GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS. THUS, THERE IS FOR ALLOWANCE ONLY OTHERWISE PROPER COSTS WHICH DO NOT EXCEED $113 ($375.40 MINUS $262.40). PER DIEM OF $40 IS ALLOWABLE, PLUS $60 CASH TRANSPORTATION FROM JUNEAU TO SEATTLE, TAXICAB FARES OF $4.50 AT SEATTLE, AND TAXICAB FARES OF $2.50 AT SPOKANE, OR A TOTAL OF $107. SINCE THAT SUM IS LESS THAN THE CONSTRUCTIVE COST CEILING OF $113, PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $107 IS PROPER. NO ALLOWANCE MAY BE MADE FOR THE COST OF TAXICAB FARES INCURRED AT WATERTOWN SINCE THE COST OF THE SIDE TRIP BETWEEN MINNEAPOLIS AND WATERTOWN IS NOT AN ALLOWABLE ITEM.
THEREFORE, IF OTHERWISE PROPER, THE VOUCHER MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $107.