B-165697, JAN. 9, 1969
Highlights
FARRALL: THIS IS IN REPLY TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 21. WHO WAS TRANSFERRED FROM AUBURN. IN JULY 1968 WAS AUTHORIZED ROUND-TRIP AIR TRANSPORTATION BY AIRPLANE FOR HIMSELF AND HIS WIFE TO THE NEW STATION TO SEARCH FOR HOUSING. YOU REQUESTED A DECISION SINCE TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE WAS NOT AUTHORIZED. A-56 HAS ANY RELATIONSHIP TO THE SITUATION INVOLVED WITH REGARD TO THE EMPLOYEE BEING ABLE TO GET TWO PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES TO HIS NEW STATION AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE WHEN ONLY ONE VEHICLE IS AUTHORIZED UNDER THAT SUBSECTION. AS A GENERAL RULE AND IN THE ABSENCE OF A PROHIBITORY STATUTE A MEMBER MAY ELECT TO MAKE USE OF SOME MODE OF TRANSPORTATION OTHER THAN THAT PROVIDED IN HIS ORDERS IF THE INTERESTS OF THE GOVERNMENT ARE NOT JEOPARDIZED THEREBY.
B-165697, JAN. 9, 1969
TO MR. HAROLD J. FARRALL:
THIS IS IN REPLY TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 21, 1968, REFERENCE 7 360, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER A TRAVEL VOUCHER FOR $88.80 IN FAVOR OF MR. BRAXTON K. SHIRLEY, JR., AN EMPLOYEE OF YOUR AGENCY, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.
MR. SHIRLEY, WHO WAS TRANSFERRED FROM AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, TO SALIDA, COLORADO, IN JULY 1968 WAS AUTHORIZED ROUND-TRIP AIR TRANSPORTATION BY AIRPLANE FOR HIMSELF AND HIS WIFE TO THE NEW STATION TO SEARCH FOR HOUSING. HOWEVER, THE EMPLOYEE AND HIS WIFE TRAVELED TO SALIDA BY PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE ON JUNE 3, 1968, AND RETURNED BY AIRPLANE. MR. SHIRLEY HAS BEEN PAID FOR AIR TRAVEL FROM SALIDA TO AUBURN AND PER DIEM IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF THE CONSTRUCTIVE TIME OF ROUND-TRIP TRAVEL BY AIRPLANE. THE AMOUNT OF $88.80 REPRESENTING MILEAGE AT THE RATE OF 8 CENTS PER MILE FROM AUBURN TO SALIDA HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.
YOU REQUESTED A DECISION SINCE TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE WAS NOT AUTHORIZED. YOU ALSO ASK WHETHER SUBSECTION 2.3B OF BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56 HAS ANY RELATIONSHIP TO THE SITUATION INVOLVED WITH REGARD TO THE EMPLOYEE BEING ABLE TO GET TWO PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES TO HIS NEW STATION AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE WHEN ONLY ONE VEHICLE IS AUTHORIZED UNDER THAT SUBSECTION.
AS A GENERAL RULE AND IN THE ABSENCE OF A PROHIBITORY STATUTE A MEMBER MAY ELECT TO MAKE USE OF SOME MODE OF TRANSPORTATION OTHER THAN THAT PROVIDED IN HIS ORDERS IF THE INTERESTS OF THE GOVERNMENT ARE NOT JEOPARDIZED THEREBY. SEE 21 COMP. GEN. 116. IN THE INSTANT CASE THE RECORD INDICATES THAT THE MILEAGE CLAIMED FOR TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE IS LESS THAN THE COST OF AIRPLANE FARES AND PER DIEM HAS BEEN COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF TRAVEL BOTH WAYS BY AIR.
IN VIEW THEREOF, AND SINCE WE DO NOT REGARD SECTION 2.3 OF CIRCULAR NO. A -56 AS BEING CONCERNED WITH TRAVEL UNDER SECTION 2.4 OF THE CIRCULAR, THE VOUCHER WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IF OTHERWISE PROPER.