Credit card has items variation

Withrow also said Wednesday that the district will make public details of the more than of personal expenses Trustee Marcie Hodge charged to a district credit card since January . It was unclear when Hodge's credit card statements would be released. District lawyer Thuy Thi Nguyen had maintained for weeks that Hodge had a privacy right to keep details of the charges private because she reimbursed the district.But under the threat of a Public Records Act lawsuit by the Bay Area News Group, Withrow said the uncensored records will be disclosed. "You're going to get what you want," he said.Trustees passed a resolution Tuesday night banning the use of district credit cards for personal items, inserting it in Peralta's ethics rules.We wanted to get the code of ethics out in front of people," Withrow said.It was unclear Wednesday how the state investigation will work. Withrow said he had cleared the resolution with the state chancellor's office before presenting it to the board and was assured the request would be acted upon.A spokeswoman for state chancellor Jack Scott said the request would be acted upon.We concur the public has a right to know and to be assured that taxpayer and other district monies are spent in accordance with the law," said Terri Carbaugh, Scott's vice chancellor for communications, wrote in an e-mail.From our vantage point, maintaining public confidence in our colleges and districts is paramount. This is especially true during this time of economic hardship," she wrote.Trustees came under withering criticism from the public Tuesday night for a lack of transparency and violations of district policies, including Harris doling out raises last year to top administrators without board knowledge or approval.Harris defended the raises, saying Tuesday night that Peralta administrators were paid less than those of other Bay Area districts.Withrow said the raises were "not in concurrence with board policy" and were being reviewed. He declined Wednesday to elaborate.The chancellor also said he has "not had a chance to respond" to questions about Lindquist's contract and other matters.Before the July publication, reporters made multiple requests for an interview with Harris by phone and were turned away at his office when asking to speak with him. Numerous requests for an interview with the chancellor were also made through Withrow and district spokesman Jeff Heyman.Withrow said it was "obvious did" receive messages from reporters seeking an interview, including one Withrow delivered to him.Harris did not return telephone messages credit cards left at his office Wednesday.Peralta College District trustees will require increased scrutiny of contracts for conflicts and the appearance of conflicts; require compliance with existing policies on travel and spending; and rigorously enforce the findings and recommendations of a state investigation, the board president said, reacting to a newspaper probe into the district's finances.If they call for any kind of action, it will be taken," board President William Withrow of Alameda said of state investigators. Trustees voted Tuesday night to request the California Community Colleges chancellor's office investigate the district.That vote follows a July report in Bay Area News Group newspapers that district Chancellor Elihu Harris helped steer a no bid contract worth more than to one of his business partners in a real estate venture without informing trustees of the potential conflict. That partner, Mark Lindquist, also is president of the Peralta Foundation, which raises money for scholarships and books.Withrow said Wednesday that he wants the district to exceed state requirements by having employees list on their annual financial disclosure forms the other people involved in each of their business holdings. Harris identified the name of the partnership but not the partners on his statement of economic interest.The information will be built into a database against which all district contracts will be checked before approval.