Atwater council directs staff to rewrite travel and purchasing rules after residents flag credit‑card spending

The Atwater City Council voted unanimously April 27 to ask staff to revise the city’s travel and purchasing policies after residents and council members urged stronger limits and clearer oversight of city credit‑card charges.

City staff told the council that the purchasing policy permits use of city Citi credit cards for certain reimbursable expenses but states the card should be used only as a last resort. Staff said their review identified three airline seat upgrades charged to city cards (two have been reimbursed) and recommended clarifying that travel meals should not be paid directly with city cards when a per‑diem or reimbursement process is available. "We won't have travel meals paid for out of the city credit card based on that," staff said during the presentation.

Residents who spoke during public comment pressed for greater transparency and stricter limits. One commenter, addressing the council as a resident, said the city had spent "over $117,000 using the credit card" in the last 12 months and criticized charges for hotels, meals and gift cards. "This is our money," the resident said.

Council members asked how oversight is enforced and whether administration follows the same rules as line staff. A councilmember urged that administrators should not be able to use city cards for meals while line employees must pay and seek reimbursement. Staff replied that purchases are reviewed by multiple layers including department heads, an accounts technician, the finance director and the city manager, and that steps have been taken to ensure seat upgrades will not recur.

The city attorney cautioned that a "gift of public funds" violation arises only where law or policy explicitly prohibits an expenditure; otherwise, the city can lawfully pay for employee incentives if it can identify a public benefit such as morale or retention. The attorney said changing whether gift cards or other recognition are allowed is a council policy decision.

The council’s motion directed staff to remove overlapping language between the travel and purchasing policies, clarify permissible use of city‑issued credit cards, and refine the interpretation of traveling on a per‑diem basis; staff said they could return a redraft at an upcoming meeting. The council also asked staff to consider the public’s comments about employee recognition programs and gift cards.

The motion passed on a unanimous roll call. Staff said they will document card usage more consistently and prefer purchase orders or cash advances where practical. Any formal policy changes will return to the council for review.