County commissioners and staff held an extended discussion about the county’s credit‑card and travel‑expense procedures after transport staff raised recurring problems with missing receipts.

Staff described current practice: receipts are often placed in a folder or an envelope in the vehicle and sometimes are lost or delayed, which complicates voucher and reimbursement processing. Staff proposed simple operational fixes: maintain a dedicated vehicle folder for receipts, photocopy originals on return to the office, and use a transport phone carried by officers to photograph receipts at the time of purchase. Multiple participants agreed that a photographed copy printed and kept with the voucher would be acceptable backup when an original printed receipt is unavailable.

The board examined edge cases: pumps that won’t print a receipt, late-night purchases at closed stations, and matches between photographed receipts and credit‑card statements. Staff and commissioners agreed that a photograph of the pump display with the amount and date, combined with a matching credit‑card statement entry, is a reasonable backup when no printed receipt exists. County finance staff said state rules require an itemized receipt for vouchers but that photocopies or printed photographs could serve as acceptable documentation when original receipts are unavailable.

Commissioners also discussed whether to require employees to use personal cards and wait for reimbursement or to issue county cards for deputies/transport staff. Members cited risks of using personal cards (timing and possible credit‑card fees if reimbursement approval is delayed) and operational problems when a single county card reaches its limit. Some participants favored issuing county cards with per‑card limits or distributing more than one card so staff at trainings or multi‑person trips are not left without payment options.

The board debated travel per diem versus reimbursement for meals. Some said the state model pays per diem as part of payroll; others noted the county usually requires receipts. Commissioners asked staff to revise the county policy to allow photo or printed photographic backups, to clarify acceptable backup for nonprinting pumps, to consider per‑diem options for extended travel, and to return with a redrafted credit‑card/expense policy for formal adoption after a trial period.