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Marshall County Commission approves purchasing-card policy, outlines per-diem limits and controls
Summary
Commissioners approved a new purchasing-card policy to preload funds for travel and departmental purchases, with controls including merchant-category codes, locked custodial storage, receipt requirements and GSA-based per-diem caps. Staff said cards are prepaid and can be expedited.
The Marshall County Commission voted to adopt a purchasing-card policy and modifications to the county travel policy after a presentation on how the cards would be issued and controlled.
During a lengthy presentation, a county vendor and staff described a prepaid purchasing card that will display "Marshall County" and the assigned employee's name. Staff said the cards are preloaded with a finite amount for a specific purpose and are not an open line to county bank accounts. The presenter said cards can be shipped by UPS and expedited within days, and that lost or compromised cards can be shut down and replaced within two to three days.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the cards are intended to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for employees traveling for county business, increase visibility of transactions, and improve reconciliation compared with the prior system. The commission emphasized training, custodial controls and receipt retention to reduce misuse and administrative burden.
Key controls and policy details: The presenter and county staff outlined multiple safeguards: merchant-category codes (so a card preloaded for meals won't work for unrelated online retail), department-head custodial procedures (locked storage and sign-out logs for departmental cards), a purchasing-card approval form, and a purchasing-change form to request temporary additional funds for specific training. Staff recommended retaining original receipts during an initial rollout even when users submit mobile-app photos, to ensure full documentation while the county learns the system.
Per-diem and fuel: Commissioners proposed tying maximum meal-and-incidentals per-diem amounts to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) locality rates; the presenter advised the commission that GSA tables vary by location and are updated periodically. For county vehicles, staff recommended issuing WEX fuel cards so vehicle fuel purchases can be traced. The presenter also said recent state legislation allows a separate fuel-card option.
Administration and workload: County finance staff cautioned that the program increases month-end reconciliation work because transactions post quickly and the county pays the account monthly. The presenter said the cards carry no issuance fee and may produce cash-back statement credits for the county. County staff said they will provide training and asked departments to request cards at least a week ahead of planned travel to allow processing.
What happens next: The commission adopted the purchasing-card policy and travel-policy modifications as presented. Staff will begin the onboarding process, issue departmental and individual cards per department preference, and circulate the approved forms and procedural guidance to department heads for implementation.
