Commissioners and Departments Review Draft Internal-control Policy, Request Revisions

County finance staff presented a draft internal-control (fiscal) policy recommended by auditors and tailored for county use, prompting detailed questions from commissioners and department heads about wording, authority lines and operational impacts.

Finance presenter Lisa said the draft came from the auditors and had been tailored for the county. Commissioners and several elected department heads debated specific language, including a line that describes commissioners as the county’s "chief elected officials responsible for fiscal operations," which some officials said could be read as overbroad and should be revised. Other requested clarifications included specifying the 25-day reconciliation deadline relative to statement issuance, whether grant requests "can" or "must" be submitted to the board for approval, how departmental receipts are entered into the county financial system, and whether a micro-purchase threshold of $3,500 should be changed.

Commissioners and department representatives also asked that the draft show a clearer organizational chart (e.g., elected officials, independent authorities, administration) and flagged credit-card language they said could unintentionally require prior approval in urgent situations. Participants agreed to collect edits and send a revised draft to department heads for review before the commission adopts a final policy.