Commission reviews redlined credit-card policy; clerk seeks clearer rules on missing receipts and travel purchases

San Juan County's clerk presented proposed revisions to the county credit-card policy at the Dec. 16 work session and sought direction on several policy details before returning a final draft for commission approval.

Vicky in the clerk-auditor's office walked commissioners through a redlined draft and noted three open questions the office needs to resolve: (1) a definition of what constitutes "excessive" use of a missing-receipt or lost-receipt verification form and the appropriate sanction (examples discussed included a three-strike rule); (2) clearer wording that distinguishes county credit-card purchases of food for official county events from personal travel meal reimbursements; and (3) criteria for distributing cardholders to employees with a compelling business need, with department-head authority to revoke cards in cases of abuse.

Commissioners asked staff to add specific examples of allowable food purchases (training, department events, vendor services such as county holiday meals), and to include a process for suspending or revoking card privileges for habitual late reconciliation or repeated missing receipts. The clerk's office confirmed it can tighten reconciliation deadlines and bring a specific proposed sanction framework back for review.

Staff also discussed raising some purchasing thresholds and retaining internal links to relevant purchasing and travel policies for departmental staff. Commissioners agreed the draft should return for review after the clerk and auditor refine the language and propose clear operational rules for reconciliation and sanctioning.

No final policy was adopted at the work session; staff will revise the redlined draft and return it at a subsequent meeting for formal action.