Surfers and white-sand beaches? Pineapples and mahi-mahi? Ocean breezes and swanky golf courses?

Hawaii isn't exactly your typical setting for government toil, which is why nearly all of the county leaders in the Roanoke and New River valleys turned down a taxpayer-financed trip next month to the Aloha State.

But Roanoke County supervisors Butch Church and Mike Wray said they see nothing wrong with a trip to attend the National Association of Counties' annual convention from July 15-19 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

They didn't even resort to the handy pointers suggested by the association as ways to deflect criticism of elected officials "going on a junket." The two supervisors plan on bringing along their families, at their own expense, and adding on a few days of vacation.

"I thought, well, this would be an opportune time to go," said Church about attending the convention for the first time. "Where it is located this year isn't too shabby either."

Wray saw no downside to a convention in paradise: "You get a lot of cutting-edge information, and it is real beneficial. You're partnering with other counties."

Officials in other nearby counties, however, nixed the tropical travel.

"That's a little out of our price range," said Floyd County Administrator George Nester, echoing concerns about tight budgets and the appearance of extravagance expressed by other officials in Bedford, Franklin, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Giles counties.

"There is a perception that if you're going to Hawaii, you're going to an exotic Pacific island," said Roanoke County Supervisor Richard Flora. "I think when you spend taxpayer's money, you ought to be a little more conservative."

Botetourt County Supervisor Wendy Wingo also is traveling to the conference, but not at the county's expense. Her bills will be paid by the Virginia Association of Counties, where she is a board member.

Church and Wray said the benefits of seminars and networking outweighed any risk of innuendo. Roanoke County will pick up the $415 conference registration and reasonable costs for meals and transportation. The supervisors are flying on economy seats for $865 and $598 and opted for rooms costing about $200 a night in Waikiki.

By contrast, other conventioneers may splurge on the $300 a night ocean view rooms at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, an opulent setting known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" that offers pink beer and 80-minute facials. Conference organizers said there are five hotels in Waikiki for county officials to select from with room prices ranging from $179 to $295, plus tax.

Jeremy Ratner, media manager for the national association, said he compiled a list of "pointers and precautions" because the location might be viewed skeptically. He said Honolulu County is a member of the national association and has the sufficient hotel rooms and conference facilities to host this year's convention. Some of his tips for handing the possible negative fallout include inviting the beat reporter to the convention and laying out the groundwork for why the educational sessions pertain to local issues.

"We understand that there is a perception, especially with Hawaii, of a junket," said Ratner, adding that 2,500 to 3,000 conventioneers are expected next month. "These are government officials and some are traveling on the taxpayer's dime. When you think of Hawaii, it is golf and the beach, but this is an educational conference."

Ratner acknowledged that his cautionary list was unprecedented, and hasn't been deemed necessary for prior conventions in Phoenix, Milwaukee, New Orleans and Philadelphia. The group's annual convention will be held in Chicago next year, followed by Richmond in 2007. He said the association tries to not favor either coast in selecting sites for the annual convention.

So far, the Virginia delegation includes about 60 government officials and 40 others, including spouses, said Jim Campbell, executive director of the Virginia Association of Counties. Those numbers are lower than the typical 125 people from Virginia, including about 75 county officials, he said. All 95 counties in Virginia are members of the association.

W. Wat Hopkins, a professor of ethics and communication at Virginia Tech, said it is "short sighted" for county officials to reject the convention because of the exotic locale.

"You can't blame public officials for where their national conventions are held," he said.

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said he could easily argue the ethics of both sides as Hawaiian officials often bear the travel costs for mainland conferences.

"Politically, it is a risk that you don't have to take," Sabato said. "In public office today you get so much criticism for real things - why add one on top if you don't have to?"

Wray, who attended last year's conference in Phoenix, and Church said Roanoke County will benefit from what they learn from the networking, educational sessions and featured speakers, including the Washington Post's T.R. Reid's perspective on globalization and Judge Glenda Hatchett's innovative legal approach, including intervention for troubled youth and their families.

Church vowed to document his costs, paying for his personal expenses.

"Why should this rub people the wrong way?" he said. "I would have probably gone even if it was in Charleston, South Carolina. It wasn't the location that was the enticement."

Staff writers Greg Esposito, Tonia Moxley

and Paul Dellinger contributed to this report.