LANCASTER – Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris says he paid his own way to attend the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi last week.
“That trip cost me personally about $45,000, that’s the cost for me to travel with my staff,” Parris said Monday. “It didn’t cost the City anything for me.”
Parris said he traveled to the conference with a Lancaster delegation that included City Manager Mark Bozigian and Deputy City Manager Jason Caudle. He estimates it costs the City about $10,000 for Bozigian and Caudle to attend the conference, but said it was “critical that they be there.”
“It did cost the City a little bit of money, [but] it cost me a fortune,” Parris said. “It’s not going to be returned for me, but it will be returned for the City.”
Returned by way of investments from key global players, he says.
“Prior to this, nobody there had heard of Lancaster, but by the time I left, I was meeting with the Mayor of Dubai and the Director General of Dubai,” Parris said. “They’re going to be sending some people out to look at Lancaster.”
Parris declined to elaborate on potential investments for Lancaster because the projects are still in the infancy stages, but said he was discussing some “pretty significant projects.”
“The discussions that we are having exceeded what I was hoping for by a factor of 10. I just don’t want to spoil anything, it’s gotta grow, it’s gotta develop,” he said. “It’s far more significant than I’d hoped.”
The Lancaster Delegation traveled to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Jan. 14 and returned on Friday, Jan. 20. In addition to Parris, Bozigian and Caudle, the delegation included Beautiful Earth Group CEO Lex Heslin and his assistant. Parris said some of his flight arrangements were paid for by Abu Dhabi.
Read more about the trip below.
* Mayor attends World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi
* Parris addresses World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi
* Parris and delegation visit Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, new Net-Zero city rising in the UAE Desert
lucas says
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris should invite and pay with taxpayers money a round trip the President from Venezuela Hugo Chavez since they both have lot in common arrogant and hypocrites pretend to read the bible and stab peoples back.
Ryan says
Does anyone know how much is Mr. 1% King Duffus is worth?
AV Town Crier says
He’s a multimillionaire. Chasing ambulances is very profitable.
Ryan says
I hear he is worth in the nieghborhood of a 100 millions,
William says
I heard him say he wanted to sell his home and move into a condo near the BLVD. That would be interesting unless he’s just BSing.
jossie says
Please, who is realy buying is good intentions? This is a tax write off for the Mayor and a nice trip for himself and groupies, King Duffus is a millioner many times over, that is the reason Sherrifs from Lancaster trip over themselves to please him at the expense of their own concious and integraty if they have any to start with. We will soon find out what the real agenda is for the trip, since he suffers from diarrhea of the mouth, stay tunne
AV Town Crier says
One way or another–he (and his cronies) will profit. Which is not to say that there won’t be some benefit to the citizens. It’s like ‘Da BLVD’ project. yes, all the usual suspects made out on it–but it does have a public benefit. Do the ends justify the means–you be the judge. Election Day is coming.
Jo says
Good thing he has you to set them all strait.
Marissa says
That’s what he said about going to China too, a trip that cost Lancaster Taxpayers a boatload and brought us nothing.
Ryan says
Nothing? How about Censorship and Kitty (forgot her last name).
___ says
of course, none of the Parris bashers will admit that they were wrong! theyre too arrogant and ignorant for that!