Finance presents consolidated cash-and-payments-handling policy draft to audit committee

Buncombe County finance staff presented a consolidated draft cash-and-payments handling policy to the Audit Committee and described next steps for management review and department training.

Mason, a finance presenter, told the committee the draft policy consolidates prior scattered guidance into a single policy and roughly 15–20 pages of procedures. "We previously had several pieces. We had a petty cash and change funds policy. We had a refunds policy. We had a till balancing sheet. They were all kind of placed in different locations," Mason said, describing the aims of centralization and consistency.

Key elements described in the draft include minimum baseline controls (receipt documentation, daily deposits, reconciliations, and segregation of duties), flexibility for varied departmental business environments, and a training rollout focused first on higher-risk divisions such as the sheriff’s office and others that collect cash. Mason told the committee the policy establishes minimums but allows departments to adopt more restrictive controls if needed. "If you do nothing else, 2 people in the room, make sure you keep your receipts," Mason said, summarizing a core baseline requirement.

Staff referenced state statutes when discussing deposit timing. The transcript includes a staff statement that "SCGS 159 32 says if we owe more than $250 a day, we have to take it to the bank." Finance staff said the policy will include links to relevant North Carolina examples and departments that already have established procedures, such as tax collections and the register of deeds, and that the policy writers consulted those offices.

The policy drafting and review process described by staff includes review by a policy steering committee (which voted with high confidence), review by the management advisory group, distribution to department directors for feedback, and then implementation steps led by finance with communications and one-on-one training. Finance staff said some policies will require sign-off by the county manager or other departmental leaders; because of the technical nature of this policy, staff said it likely will not require board of commissioners approval but commissioners would be informed through the advisory group.

Committee members asked about exceptions, observable controls, how the policy would apply across very different operations (for example, tax collection versus parks concessions), and the scheduling of training and onboarding. Staff said the county already has an onboarding program and the policy will be incorporated into training and refreshers; staff also said they plan focused rollouts for the highest-risk departments first.

No vote was taken; the item was presented for committee awareness and staff requested input as drafting and advisory reviews continue.