Well, yes. Just don't call next week's National Association of Counties convention in Hawaii a junket.

After all, say the handful of Utah attendees, a job-related jaunt to the Aloha State costs about the same as the Big Apple.

And in Salt Lake County, where two officials are heading for Honolulu, Mayor Peter Corroon, in an attempt to ward off criticism, has placed a cap on the taxpayer-funded trip.

He will allow each attendee $400 for airfare and $200 per night for hotel, but the balance must be paid out-of-pocket. With registration, the tab for each is estimated near $2,000.

Corroon says he believes in sending representatives to the annual conference - the networking and education is worth it - but only at a price comparable to travel costs inside the continental border.

So, from July 15-19, the county's chief administrative officer Doug Willmore, along with Public Works Director John Patterson, will attempt to concentrate on speeches, not surfers.

Willmore calls the location unfortunate.

"People think you're going on vacation," he said Tuesday. "I'd much rather be in Gary, Ind., or something."

Patterson, who insists in 25 years he's never seen such a spending ceiling, says the cap shows a sensitivity to what Corroon calls "the political climate we live in today."

"I bought into it," Patterson said.

Still, officials in other counties are content to let the taxpayer pay.

"I don't even think about location," said Dannie McConkie, a NACO board member and one of two Davis County Commissioners flying to the Pacific island.

While some vent over the extravagance, McConkie insists the Honolulu convention is crucial in setting a legislative agenda for Congress.

"That's a gargantuan assignment."

Weber County will send all three commissioners, two who will shuttle spouses by digging into their personal pocketbooks.

"I don't make any excuses for it," said Commissioner Ken Bischoff. "It's really not a huge difference in terms of expense. It's just the impression people have."

Brent Gardner, executive director for the Utah Association of Counties, agrees.

"I don't know if it would be any more distracting than Washington or Philadelphia," said Gardner, who will attend along with some UAC board members.

But the image of hosting a conference for its 2,000 counties - members represent 80 percent of the nation's population - next to Pacific palms, clearly bothered NACO officials.

They sent a pre-emptive brochure to advise officials how to deflect criticism for "going on a junket." One NACO suggestion was for each county to take a news reporter with them.

Willmore says he "junked" the brochure after Corroon set the spending limits.

Such spin failed to tempt the three members of Utah County's commission - none of whom will head to Hawaii.

"To me, it smacks of junket, because of where they chose," said Commissioner Steve White. "As soon as I saw it was in Honolulu, I said, 'no way.' "

Last year, NACO held the convention in Phoenix, while next year's event is slated for Chicago. That will be followed by Richmond, Va., in 2007.

But while on the island next week, Utah officials maintain the meetings are the real attraction.

Gardner listed priorities including the Help America Vote Act and community-development block grants. And Patterson says he is excited to attend workshops ranging from proactive audits to reduce the risk of class-action lawsuits to something called "sewer-watch."

"I'm getting kind of juiced," he said. "It's unique."

So is the July 27-30 National Lieutenant Governor's Association annual meeting, which Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert and his chief of staff will attend.

Their destination: Hawaii's Waikiki Beach.

djensen@sltrib.com