Chancellor found buying alcohol with district funds: San Mateo County Community College District defends official identified in report questioning his spending

During dinners with school colleagues and fellow educators at conferences in Las Vegas and student recruiting trips to Vietnam, Galatolo racked up hundreds of dollars worth of alcohol purchases during dinners costing the district more than $1,000.

And though the NBC report indicated such behavior was a violation of the district policy on conference and travel expenses, district spokeswoman Barbara Christensen disagreed through a prepared statement.

“As part of the activities necessary to perform his job, the district chancellor may need to host visitors to our campuses, solicit major donors, meet with vendors and business partners and engage in activities with other organizations, etc.,” she said. “These expenses, which fall outside the scope of the domestic conference and travel expense policy, may involve payment for meals and these meals may include alcoholic beverages, which are appropriately reimbursed by the district.”

Galatolo was not available for comment on this article.

When confronted by investigative reporter Vicky Nguyen questioning his spending habits, Galatolo dismissively said “in the grand scheme of things these things are absolutely petty,” according to the televised report.

Patricia Miljanich, president of the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees, said Galatolo’s use of district funds was well within his rights as an administrator.

“He was not violating district policy,” she said.

Miljanich added she would not have any concerns about Galatolo continuing similar behavior in the future.

Galatolo purchased wine as part of a business dinner with prospective bond underwriters when he was attending a Community College League of California CEO meeting, and a portion of the trip was reimbursed by the organization putting on the conference, according to Christensen.

He also bought 16 alcoholic beverages, including cocktails and glasses of wine, according to receipts obtained by NBC, during a dinner in Las Vegas with roughly 15 colleagues which Christensen said was during a convention for the California School Employees Association.

Though the sum of the bill amounted to $978, Christensen noted the dinner cost roughly $70 per person, and claimed it was chance for district employees and associates to build a closer sense of community.

“This dinner was an opportunity to build a better team relationship between the CSEA leadership and district personnel,” she said.

And while on a trip to Asia designed to enhance the district’s ability to recruit international students, Galatolo purchased beers worth $22, according to Christensen, during meals with local officials and business leaders.

Typically, employees stand to have their district charge card revoked should they use it to buy alcohol, according to the district’s policy on travel expense.

But Galatolo’s alcohol purchases are beyond the policy regulating what district employees can buy with district funds, because the regulation does not apply to purchases during businesses meeting, conferences, among other events, which are considered legitimate business expenses, said Christensen.

She said Galatolo’s use of district finances are “examples of legitimate job-related activities which go outside the scope of the individual employee travel expense policy.”

Maxine Terner, who has long been an outspoken critic of the district’s allocation of public money, said in an email she believed Galatolo’s behavior is representative of a larger cause for concern.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “[San Mateo] County voters have been misled and lied to about a lot more than drinks.”

Terner claims the district has irresponsibly spent millions of dollars in bond funds passed by district voters, and residents have been misled to support the construction of extravagant buildings which are not necessary to serve students.

Terner said she believed a more thorough analysis of the spending habits of community college district officials is long overdue.

“It’s way past time for the spotlight to shine on this invisible public agency hidden in plain sight high on the hills of San Mateo County,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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