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Commissioners approve consolidated travel policy; board sets alternative mileage reimbursement at half IRS rate
Summary
The board adopted a consolidated travel policy that centralizes prior HR and finance rules, designates in-state definition for nearby Horry County, and sets an alternative mileage reimbursement equal to half the IRS rate when county vehicles are available.
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a consolidated travel policy that gathers previously separate finance and human-resources rules into a single policy and clarifies several approval thresholds and reimbursement practices.
During the administrative report, staff introduced the rewrite as a consolidation intended to simplify approvals and clarify exceptions. A staff presentation recommended designating Horry County (Myrtle Beach) as in-state for approval purposes because many North Carolina conferences are held there.
The policy also addresses reimbursement for voluntary use of a personal vehicle. Staff said an administrative practice had been to reimburse voluntary use at the IRS "charitable" rate (14 cents per mile) and asked the board to formalize a revised alternative rate. Commissioners debated the fairness of 14 cents per mile and whether to base an alternative on a fraction of the IRS business mileage rate.
The board approved the travel policy with a single substantive change: the alternative reimbursement rate for voluntary personal-vehicle use will be half of the current IRS business mileage rate rather than the previously used 14 cents. The motion to adopt the policy with that change was moved and seconded by board members and passed without a recorded roll-call in the transcript. The county manager's office will continue to apply the standard IRS rate when a county vehicle is unavailable; the alternative half-IRS rate applies when a county vehicle is available but an employee voluntarily uses a personal vehicle.
Why it matters: The change is intended to encourage use of county fleet vehicles where practical while still compensating staff for incidental voluntary use. Staff said the half-IRS approach allows the board to adjust the alternative rate automatically if the IRS rate changes, avoiding a fixed-dollar figure that would require future board action.
Next steps: County staff will publish the consolidated policy and incorporate the new reimbursement procedure into travel authorizations and payroll processes. The county retained exception authority for senior officials (deputy managers, sheriff, register of deeds, or board chair) to approve deviations when warranted.
