Daggett County adds county‑owned phone option to Section 19 cell phone policy; commission approves new paragraph

Daggett County commissioners voted to add a new paragraph to Section 19 of the county’s cell phone policy to allow county‑owned cell phones when an employee’s duties require them, with prior approval from the commission on a case‑by‑case basis.

During discussion commissioners and staff referenced federal tax (IRS) rules on fringe benefits, county concerns about the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and the difficulty of archiving public records on personal devices, and existing county practices for equipment allowances. One participant summarized the proposed language as: "A county owned cell phone may be requested, but must receive prior approval from the Daggett County Commission based on a case by case basis." That language was incorporated into the motion.

Commissioners debated whether the county or the individual should be billed for service. Several speakers said the phone should be billed to the county so the device remains county property and county records are retained when employees leave. One participant said county ownership helps with GRAMA compliance: county‑owned devices are easier to archive for public records requests than personal phones. The commission also discussed IRS and payroll tax consequences when a department provides an equipment allowance and when an employee owns the device. Staff noted that some Utah counties provide a single county phone for tourism personnel; commissioners said any county equipment policy should align with state guidance and existing county procurement and IT practices.

The motion to add a new Section 19.6 paragraph permitting county‑owned cell phones with prior commission approval was moved and seconded and passed on a voice vote with an affirmative vote. Commissioners directed staff to format the language and integrate the paragraph into the existing Section 19 policy text. The motion did not include detailed implementation rules such as exact billing practices, provider selection, or definitions of “excessive personal use”; commissioners asked staff to develop more detailed policy language and to consult the state rules and county IT/procurement before finalizing procedures.

Ending

Commissioners approved adding the new paragraph to Section 19 to allow county‑owned phones with prior commission approval and asked staff to draft final policy language addressing billing, acceptable use and record archiving for future action.