Four months after becoming Sacramento County's chief executive, Brad Hudson hasn't hung anything on the walls of his top-floor office in the downtown County Administration Building.

But he has made a mark on the office. He's purchased $21,000 in new furniture at county expense.

Hudson has run up about $26,000 in county expenses so far this year, according to receipts obtained by The Bee. Besides office furniture, Hudson has charged several plane tickets.

The purchases have attracted attention in a county that's enduring its fourth straight year of budget cuts.

Sitting behind a $7,300 "Lexington"-model wood desk, Hudson explains his rationale for buying the furniture: He wanted a more inviting atmosphere than was created by the old furniture used by his predecessors Steve Szalay and Terry Schutten.

Hudson says he has more of an "open-door" style of management.

"I wanted something that was appropriate for the work that we do," he said. "It's not extravagant. I just want people to feel like they can come in."

Previously city manager in Riverside, Hudson is now responsible for a $3.6 billion annual budget and 11,000 employees. He makes $258,200 a year plus benefits.

Hudson also ordered a dark-wood furniture round table, end table, coffee table and credenza.

There's more: club chairs, "Diva Series" conference chairs and the high-back "Tuxedo Executive" chair. Hudson also added linen wall covering.

Hudson says he expects to take some heat but thinks the purchases are necessary to do the job right.

Daniel Uselmann, a past president of the county local of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, isn't so sure.

"We've had layoffs; we've had contract concessions; we've had programs cut," he said. "Office expenditures may not be such a good idea."

Hudson also billed the county for eight flights between here and Ontario, near his old home of Riverside. Two of the flights were taken for interviews with the Board of Supervisors and a third was needed to meet with staff and sign documents before taking office, records show.

Five other flights were billed as moving expenses – at a cost of $1,667. Hudson said he needed to take care of a variety of personal business on weekends in Riverside as he made the transition to Sacramento.

He also billed the county about $540 to move some of his belongings in a U-Haul truck to Sacramento.

Hudson said he, his wife and son live in a midtown loft and are looking for a home. He said he isn't planning to sell his Riverside home, which he may keep for retirement.

His contract provides him with $25,000 for "relocation expenses." Hudson said he will need more moving expenses when he finds a home here, but doesn't expect to use the full allocation in his contract.

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Call The Bee's Brad Branan, (916) 321-1065. Follow him on Twitter @ BradB_at_SacBee.

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