Personnel committee to align county mileage reimbursement with current IRS rates and reconcile ordinance conflict

Marion County’s personnel committee reviewed vehicle-use and mileage-reimbursement language and directed staff to align the county’s reimbursement to the most recent IRS rate and to resolve any conflict with an older county ordinance.

The draft policy states that employees using personal vehicles on county business will be reimbursed “at the county’s most current ordinance” rate; members noted that the ordinance rate has not been updated in years and is well below the current IRS standard. Committee members proposed language that ties mileage reimbursement to the current IRS rate (the transcript referenced IRS rate changes) and asked staff to coordinate with the county judge and clerk to eliminate any older ordinance that sets a separate fixed rate if the policy manual is adopted as controlling. Members discussed lodging and meal per-diem rates as well and asked that the policy mirror state or IRS per-diem language for consistency.

The committee also examined a vehicle-use rule that forbids county employees from using county vehicles to transport non–Marion County passengers for non-emergency purposes; the draft exempts law-enforcement transportation for official duties. Members asked staff to confirm enforcement mechanisms and insurance implications.

Staff were asked to (1) insert language referencing the IRS mileage rate and corresponding per-diem limits, (2) coordinate with the judge and clerk about rescinding or amending any conflicting ordinance, and (3) clarify the vehicle-use prohibition and associated disciplinary steps and insurance consequences.