LYNN – According to city documents, city officials have spent thousands of dollars expressing their feelings with flowers in recent years, all on the taxpayer’s dime.Even though city Comptroller John Pace said records reflect a dramatic decline from the exorbitant floral purchases in years past, the numbers have been shown to fluctuate.”There has been some control of discretionary spending,” Pace said. “The state has rules on spending the taxpayers’ money, and for the most part, I frown upon it.”Because of those rules, Pace said he requires all flower orders to be stamped with the words “attest to public purpose” to define the need.”There are enough other issues to use taxpayer money on,” he said. “I don’t want the numbers to be any higher, I want them to be at zero. And I have seen a dramatic reduction or elimination of orders.”According to the Comptroller’s Department, the city spent a total of $3,336 in FY ’08 on floral arrangements – $749 billed from Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr.’s office, $725 from the Veterans Department, $1,317 from the City Council, $55 from the School Department, $80 from Inspectional Services Department, and an additional $410 from various departments.In FY ’07, $2,019 was spent on flowers with $45 from the Mayor’s office, $856 from the Veterans Department, and $1,118 from the City Council.The numbers were higher in FY ’06, totaling $6,713 with a whopping $2,419 from the Mayor’s office, $1,133 from the Veterans’ office, $1,716 from the City Council and $1,445 from the Department of Public Works.John Pietrowski of the Comptroller’s Department said some orders are paid for by grants as opposed to taxpayer funds, such as a $234.50 order from the Mayor’s office in 2007 and a $1,360 order in 2007.Pace said orders are typically placed for congratulatory purposes, bereavement arrangements, wreaths and inauguration centerpieces.The majority of the orders were split between Salvy The Florist which received $561.75 in orders in 2006, 10 invoices totaling $2,446 in 2007 and $1,817 in 2008, and Tony The Florist, with 21 invoices for $1,713 in 2006 and $994.50 in orders in 2007.Welch Florist received 15 orders in 2006 totaling $2,340.40.Smaller amounts were billed to Flowers by Lorraine of $748.50 from the Mayor’s office in January, and $732 in total from the Mayor’s and Veterans’ offices in FY ’06. Steve’s Greenhouse received two orders from the city – one in 2006 for $1,445 from DPW and another for $29.95 in 2007. Finally, Balloons and Flowers had one invoice in 2006 for $223.20 and two others in 2007 totaling $279.In sharp contrast to recent spending, the city has racked up previous bills totaling over $11,000 on flowers in 2000 and 2001.”This really isn’t an issue anymore from my view as a city auditor,” Pace said.Michael Conlon, an aide to Clancy, declined to comment on the matter.