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Commissioners table proposed change to meal reimbursement policy pending tax and peer-county review
Summary
A proposed ordinance change to permit meal reimbursement for daylong training was discussed and tabled; commissioners requested follow-up on whether such reimbursements would be taxable and how peer counties handle the policy.
DeKalb County commissioners discussed a proposal from department heads to amend the county's travel and reimbursement rules to allow meal reimbursement for same‑day training sessions of four hours or more and to pay meal costs for each day of a conference.
Staff said the proposed approach would set a local reimbursement maximum (suggested $18) for day meetings that last at least four hours, require department-head approval, and charge reimbursements to the requesting department's budget rather than commissioners' funds. Commissioners considered a Cass County example that uses a $15 lunch allowance but noted the state of Indiana's rules for taxing such benefits are complex.
Several commissioners expressed concern that day‑of training meal reimbursements could be treated as taxable fringe benefits by the IRS unless handled with receipts or other substantiation. Commissioners asked staff to consult Auburn and Cass County on how they handle tax treatment and to return with recommended language that addresses taxation, documentation, and accounting requirements.
Discussion versus decision: commissioners debated policy design and tax implications but took no final action; they voted to table the item until the next meeting pending staff follow-up with peer jurisdictions and clarity on tax treatment.
Implementation details: staff will contact Auburn and other counties to determine practices and will draft amended travel policy language for future consideration.
