D.C. Council looks to cut cellphone spending
Monday - 2/27/2012, 6:36am ET
WASHINGTON - Members of the D.C. Council and about 30 staff members have spent about $61,000 in cellphone bills over the past 16 months because of excessive roaming and data charges.
The Washington Post ( http://wapo.st/yqvsBb) reports D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown recently determined the council was wasting thousands of dollars with such charges.
For most, the bills were between $50 and $75 a month. But some regularly exceeded $100 a month.
Councilmember Muriel Bowser had the highest average bill at about $251 per month and topped $700 in August. Bowser attributed the charges to international roaming while on vacation. In July, Councilmember Michael Brown's bill topped $1,000 while he was traveling.
Council Secretary Nyasha Smith has renegotiated the council's contract with AT&T and expects to cut costs by a third.
___
Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
