Penobscot County commissioners agreed to schedule a discussion about meal and travel policies to give department heads clearer guidance on allowable expenses, while a public-safety speaker disputed any suggestion of widespread misuse.

Chair (Speaker 1) said the county needs clearer guidance for department heads and finance about what is allowable for meals and travel and recommended a meeting with department leaders that includes finance. Speaker 5 said they would add the topic to the department-head agenda.

In a measured but forceful response, Speaker 6 objected to any implication of abuse in the sheriff's office, saying minimal sums were involved and that purchases for on-scene needs came from officer funds rather than taxpayer dollars. Speaker 6 stated, "Nobody's raised a meal concern. There isn't a single meal or very few under minimal amounts of money that are in our budget in the sheriff's office that have gone out of taxpayer monies to pay for any meals," and noted instances such as buying pizza for crews at a fatal crash.

Other commissioners urged that the upcoming discussion be framed so it does not invite premature media narratives. The chair said the county will welcome suggestions via email and encouraged thoughtful, collaborative input from partners and department heads.

Next steps: the chair and staff will add meal and travel policy to the department-head meeting agenda and ask finance to participate to clarify allowable expenses and credit-card usage.