Commission forwards updated financial management policy for review

County staff presented an updated Financial Management Policy that incorporates auditor recommendations and clarifies purchasing and bad-debt procedures. Commissioners moved to send the updated policy to the commission for final consideration.

Key changes flagged in the packet include reordering the list of expenditures that do not require a purchase order, revising language on purchase requisitions, removing an employee first report of work-injury form (migrated to an online workers' compensation process), and creating a countywide bad-debt write-off policy to replace multiple department-specific procedures. Staff also explained updates to surplus equipment disposal language and adjustments to reflect recent governmental accounting standard updates on lease accounting.

Staff noted the General Services Administration purchasing option (GSA) has been acknowledged in the policy so county departments may purchase from federal GSA schedules when appropriate. Commissioners requested that EMS-specific Medicare-related wording be checked and confirmed and asked staff to verify final wording before the policy is finalized. A motion to send the policy to the commission was made and seconded.