Everyone is looking for ways to curb how inflation hits their pocketbook, and the Blaine County Commissioners are no different.
At the regular meeting Monday, the commissioners held a lengthy discussion on the county’s travel policy and use of its P cards.
A P card – P is for purchasing or procurement - is different from a credit card in that it can be restricted to certain time frames or particular purchases. Like credit cards, they may have a pre-set limit.
Once an employee has a card, purchase requests can be set.
For instance if the Sheriff has to go to Nebraska on prisoner transport, he can make the request and the amount for appropriate expenses is set on his card. Categories and vendors can also be set. He can then use the card and the pre-set parameters are enforced automatically. The details are submitted automatically to the county, so no receipts are required, although they may be requested. It streamlines expense reporting.
The question Monday was whether there should be meal cost caps and if tips to servers should be included in the appropriate expense.
The county had reached out to other counties around the area to determine how they were proceeding with the card usages.
None of the counties questioned had set a meal cap, although some had daily limits on meals for overnight travel.
“So the (state) auditors had no recommendations on it?” queried Commissioner Tracy Matli. He was told they had not offered an op.
The county will have to determine when meals are covered – as of now, the policy is to pay for meals only when an employee has to travel for work overnight and whether all meals are eligible.
In the round, Commissioner Brandon Shultz suggested there be no authorization for tips, meaning they would have to be paid by the employee at his or her own discretion.
Court Clerk Christi Matli wondered out loud how the taxpayers would Tfeel if an employee bought an expensive meal in the event no caps were set.
Commissioner Matli noted caps might have to be continually revised. “Meals have gotten ridiculous,” he said. “I think $75 (per day) is a good place to start.”
Jennifer Haigler, county clerk, said perhaps the county could set a $75 daily limit on meal costs and noted the employee would not be eligible to receive the difference between costs and daily limits, as they can with some corporate per diem systems.
In the round, the matter was tabled so that the existing policy and the proposed P card policies could be compared via a spread sheet format before the county makes a decision on allowable expenses and cost limits.