Delaware County commissioners approve $881,872.58 in claims, set June 15 deadline for credit-card compliance

The Delaware County Commissioners on May 7 voted 2–1 to approve payment of claims totaling $881,872.58 while directing county departments to resolve lapses in credit-card documentation by June 15.

The special meeting opened with a reading of the claims packet. "The main reason for our meeting today is the payment of claims that need to be paid in the amount of $881,872.58," the clerk said. Commissioners then debated whether sufficient substantiation accompanied the claims and whether portions of the county's credit-card program comply with the county ordinance that governs allowable purchases.

Why it matters: County officials said missing description lines and inconsistent department-level documentation have made it difficult to verify some credit-card charges. One staff member reported that, in a sample covering two-thirds of departments for April, 62% of sampled credit-card claims were flagged as noncompliant or medium risk. Commissioners said the pattern appears systemic and not confined to a single department.

Discussion and proposed fixes: Commissioners described a tracking document that records which departments supplied substantiation and which did not, and urged department heads to work with the auditor's office to bring accounts into compliance. The board discussed operational workarounds for emergencies, including maintaining vendor accounts and using purchase orders, and one commissioner proposed keeping a single card active for emergency use.

Deadline, enforcement and next steps: The board agreed to give departments until the second meeting in June — June 15 — to correct documentation and comply with the ordinance. The commissioner who proposed the timeline said that if compliance is not achieved by that date he will move to suspend credit-card privileges across departments. That enforcement step was proposed but not voted on at the May 7 meeting.

Payment and votes: Commissioners moved to pay the claims that had been signed by the approving commissioners. On the roll call vote the motion carried 2–1: Commissioner Brand voted No; Commissioner Henry voted Yes; Commissioner Reagan voted Yes. Staff also reported a printed check of $25,848.76 that would cover outstanding credit-card balances; that payment was held pending the meeting and commissioner signoffs.

What remains unresolved: The board did not adopt an immediate suspension or formal policy change at the May 7 meeting. Commissioners tasked department heads and the auditor's office with resolving documentation gaps by June 15; an enforcement motion was signaled for consideration at the June meeting if problems persist.

The special meeting concluded after a brief check for public comment, with no members of the public signed up to speak, and the board recessed by unanimous vote.