Treasurer proposes switch to Washington Federal, overhaul of county credit‑card and travel policies

Pam Johnson, Okanogan County treasurer, told the finance committee she is proposing the county switch its purchasing credit‑card account from FirstBank to Washington Federal, where the county already maintains accounts.

Johnson said Washington Federal offers three practical payment options, a local branch that could accept in‑person payments in Omak and user interfaces she judged easier for cardholders. She also said the bank offers a one‑time branding option to print cards with the county logo. Johnson told commissioners the county must give the current bank a 90‑day notice if it decides to change by Oct. 1.

On policy, Johnson proposed updating the county’s credit‑card policy to remove a specific bank name and replace it with the generic “banking institution,” and to require employees who hold county cards to sign a policy acknowledgement. She told the committee that travel policy is dated and should be updated to address Airbnbs, trip insurance and modern payment practices, and that references to credit cards should be coordinated between policies and any existing resolutions.

Commissioners and staff discussed credit limits and oversight. The committee discussed setting a per‑card cap and agreed on a practical approach: leave existing department limits in place but require that any limit above a threshold — discussed at the meeting as $10,000 — require treasurer or commissioner sign‑off. Johnson said she and her deputy are the only staff who can raise limits currently.

Johnson also reviewed broader finance items: she reported current expense cash on hand for January at $2,798,614.45 and raised concern that the capital improvement fund carryover was “only 400 and some thousand,” which she and commissioners flagged as low. She said recent bank messaging shows interest/State Pool rates near 4.38% and that some revenues/accounts may not be paid back to the county until later in the fiscal year.

No formal vote was taken at the meeting. Staff will draft a 90‑day notice letter to the current bank, prepare proposed credit‑card policy changes (including mandatory acknowledgement for cardholders) and return revised travel and credit‑card policies for commissioner consideration at a future meeting.

Why it matters: the bank and policy decisions affect payment operations, purchase controls, fraud response, and user experience for departments that use purchasing cards.

What’s next: treasurer will draft the bank‑change letter and updated policies and will bring recommended language and a proposed credit‑limit framework back to the board.