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B-162333, SEP. 19, 1967

B-162333 Sep 19, 1967
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EMPLOYEE WHO TRAVELED FROM PLACE WHERE HE USUALLY SPENDS HIS WEEKENDS (NARRAGANSETT) TO TEMPORARY DUTY IN PROVIDENCE AND THEN TO HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY MAY HAVE HIS OFFICIAL TEMPORARY DUTY REGARDED AS HAVING COMMENCED AT NARRAGANSETT AND BE PAID MILEAGE FOR THE TRAVEL WITHOUT DEDUCTION FOR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN NARRAGANSETT AND NEW YORK. ALSO HE IS ENTITLED TO PER DIEM FROM THE TIME OF DEPARTURE TO TIME OF RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS. BERRUM: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR INQUIRY OF JULY 31. MONAHAN WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL FROM NEW YORK CITY. MONAHAN WOULD HAVE SPENT THE WEEKEND IN QUESTION IN NARRAGANSETT IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TEMPORARY DUTY ASSIGNMENT. VIEWING THE MATTER IN SUCH LIGHT IT IS WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION TO PAY MILEAGE FROM THE POINT (NARRAGANSETT) WHERE THE OFFICIAL TRAVEL ACTUALLY BEGAN WITHOUT DEDUCTION FROM THE MILEAGE SO COMPUTED OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN NARRAGANSETT AND NEW YORK CITY.

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B-162333, SEP. 19, 1967

TRAVEL EXPENSES - TRAVEL FROM PLACE OTHER THAN HEADQUARTERS DECISION TO CERTIFYING OFFICER DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONCERNING PROPER TRAVEL ALLOWANCE TO EMPLOYEE. EMPLOYEE WHO TRAVELED FROM PLACE WHERE HE USUALLY SPENDS HIS WEEKENDS (NARRAGANSETT) TO TEMPORARY DUTY IN PROVIDENCE AND THEN TO HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY MAY HAVE HIS OFFICIAL TEMPORARY DUTY REGARDED AS HAVING COMMENCED AT NARRAGANSETT AND BE PAID MILEAGE FOR THE TRAVEL WITHOUT DEDUCTION FOR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN NARRAGANSETT AND NEW YORK. ALSO HE IS ENTITLED TO PER DIEM FROM THE TIME OF DEPARTURE TO TIME OF RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS.

TO MISS PAULINE W. BERRUM:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR INQUIRY OF JULY 31, 1967, WHEREIN YOU REQUEST A DECISION AS TO THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT A TRAVEL VOUCHER TRANSMITTED THEREWITH FOR $46.80 IN FAVOR OF MR. EDWARD P. MONAHAN AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

THE VOUCHER COVERS TRAVEL PERFORMED DURING THE PERIOD MAY 12 TO MAY 15, 1967. APPARENTLY, MR. MONAHAN WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL FROM NEW YORK CITY, HIS OFFICIAL DUTY STATION, TO PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND AND RETURN. WHILE NO COPY OF THE TRAVEL ORDER ACCOMPANIED YOUR REQUEST FOR A DECISION, WE ASSUME FROM THE INFORMATION PRESENTED THAT THE TRAVEL ORDER AUTHORIZED MILEAGE AT THE RATE OF .09 AND PER DIEM AT THE RATE OF $8.

MR. MONAHAN DEPARTED NEW YORK CITY AT 3:30 P.M. FRIDAY MAY 12- APPARENTLY IN A SICK LEAVE STATUS--AND ARRIVED AT HIS HOME IN NARRAGANSETT, RHODE ISLAND AT 7:30 P.M. THE SAME DAY. AT 7:30 A.M. ON MONDAY, MAY 15, MR. MONAHAN DEPARTED FROM NARRAGANSETT AND ARRIVED IN PROVIDENCE AT 8:15 A.M. ON THE SAME DAY (MAY 15) HE COMPLETED HIS TEMPORARY DUTY AND DEPARTED FROM PROVIDENCE AT :30 P.M. AND ARRIVED AT HIS OFFICIAL STATION IN NEW YORK CITY AT 9 P.M. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MR. MONAHAN HAS NO PERMANENT RESIDENCE OTHER THAN IN NARRAGANSETT AND THAT NORMALLY HE SPENDS HIS WEEKENDS AT THAT POINT (NARRAGANSETT, R.I.). THUS, BASED UPON THE INFORMATION TRANSMITTED HERE, IT REASONBLY APPEARS THAT MR. MONAHAN WOULD HAVE SPENT THE WEEKEND IN QUESTION IN NARRAGANSETT IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TEMPORARY DUTY ASSIGNMENT. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HIS OFFICIAL TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL REASONABLY MAY BE REGARDED AS HAVING COMMENCED AT NARRAGANSETT.

VIEWING THE MATTER IN SUCH LIGHT IT IS WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION TO PAY MILEAGE FROM THE POINT (NARRAGANSETT) WHERE THE OFFICIAL TRAVEL ACTUALLY BEGAN WITHOUT DEDUCTION FROM THE MILEAGE SO COMPUTED OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN NARRAGANSETT AND NEW YORK CITY. (SEE 36 COMP. GEN. 795).

SIMILARLY ON THE BASIS THAT THE OFFICIAL TRAVEL COMMENCED WHEN MR. MONAHAN DEPARTED NARRAGANSETT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO COMPUT HIS PER DIEM ENTITLEMENT FROM THE TIME HE LEFT NARRAGANSETT, 7:30 A.M., TO TIME OF HIS ARRIVAL AT NEW YORK CITY, 9 P.M.

IN ADDITION, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE $2 EXPENSE FOR PARKING FEES WOULD BE REIMBURSABLE UNDER STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS.

THE VOUCHER WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH MAY BE REVISED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING AND CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IF SUCH METHOD OF REIMBURSEMENT IS APPROVED ADMINISTRATIVELY (36 COMP. GEN. 795, 797).

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