Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Finance Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Davis County reviews proposed financial policy changes for P-cards, phone allowances, mileage and per diem
Summary
Controller Scott Parke presented proposed updates to county policies including departmental P-cards, narrowing cell phone allowance eligibility with a proposed $40 flat rate, a tiered transportation reimbursement that would lower some mileage payments, and clarified purchasing thresholds to prevent purchase-splitting.
The Davis County Commission reviewed a set of proposed financial policy updates on Tuesday that, if adopted, would change how the County issues purchase cards, compensates employees for phones and mileage, and applies per-diem rules for travel.
County Controller Scott Parke said the update would allow a departmental P-card assigned to a custodian for infrequent use, reducing the need to issue individual cards to employees who rarely travel. He added that employees may continue to use personal rewards numbers for County travel so long as it imposes no additional cost on the County.
On cell phones, Controller Parke proposed narrowing eligibility to positions that require constant contact for emergencies or client calls and consolidating current $30 and $60 allowances into a single $40 approach. For employees who would lose an allowance under the new qualifications, Parke said the County would roll that amount into regular wages to avoid penalizing staff.
The transportation proposals include tiered mileage reimbursements and an example contrasting current and proposed rates: a 640-mile trip to St. George currently reimbursed at $0.72 per mile (an example cost of $460.80) could instead be reimbursed at $0.22 per mile ($140.80) if the employee drove by preference; Parke noted renting a car could still be cheaper in many cases. The Sheriff’s Office requested extending vehicle take-home privileges from 25 to 35 miles beyond the County border; Commissioners asked staff for data on how many employees that would affect.
Parke also proposed clarifications to purchasing rules to prevent departments from splitting purchases to avoid the three-quote requirement for purchases above $15,000 and to treat recurring purchases as aggregating toward a $50,000 annual threshold. On travel, the Controller’s Office recommended that single-day travel not qualify for per-diem and that per-diem be adjusted downward when conference registration includes meals.
Fleet Assets Manager Dave Herre and Information Systems Director Jeff Hassett participated in the discussion; Hassett questioned whether certain operational needs might require County-provided devices, a question Parke said was beyond the immediate scope of this policy update. Animal Care Director Michelle Hicks urged sensitivity to employee burdens, noting hidden costs of travel such as pet care and dietary restrictions. Commissioners agreed to continue discussing the proposals at a later meeting and have staff provide additional information.
