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Commissioners press for credit‑card controls after billing disputes; pay bills and schedule workshop
Summary
Commissioners approved payment of bills ($90,876.17 total for all funds) after prolonged debate about credit‑card misuse, blocked vendors and missing receipts; staff will seek Attorney General guidance and hold a department‑head workshop on PO/credit‑card procedures.
Newton County commissioners on Aug. 26 approved payment of the presented bills after an extended discussion over recurring problems with county credit cards, vendor registration and receipt collection.
Speaker 5 described an ongoing issue with invoices, card blocks for vendors not in the county system, and purchases charged to inappropriate account numbers. "As of this week, the end of this week, first of next week, I want all the credit cards turned back into the arctic office," Speaker 5 said, noting the office has requested Attorney General opinions about allowable charges and how to code certain expenditures.
Commissioners and staff debated immediate card retrieval versus developing a process that maintains operational flexibility. Speaker 2 proposed a department‑head workshop on the county purchase‑order (PO) system and credit‑card procedures so staff and elected officials could agree on an implementable control process. That proposal was supported as a way to reduce recurring errors, improve receipt turn‑in and reduce transaction rework.
Staff presented a summary of bills for payment, listing total funds across accounts as $90,876.17 (with the grants portion noted as reimbursable). Speaker 2 moved to pay the bills; the court approved payment by voice vote and directed staff to organize the workshop and continue work with the Attorney General's office on legal guidance for donations and card use.
The court recorded no change in policy in the meeting itself; follow‑up actions include returning cards for central control where appropriate, issuing a smaller set of cards for travel, and scheduling the PO/credit‑card workshop.
