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Select Board tightens purchase controls during default, debates credit-card policy changes
Summary
The board voted to lower the purchase-order threshold during the default budget from $7,500 to $3,000 and reviewed edits to the town's credit-card policy, discussing card limits, statement routing to department heads, and legal concerns about payroll deductions for alleged misuse.
The New Boston Select Board on Monday approved a revision to the town's expenditure process for the FY2026 budget default that lowers the threshold for required purchase orders to $3,000, and it reviewed proposed edits to the town's credit-card policy intended to tighten controls and clarify procedures.
Town staff explained the default-year change would require a completed purchase order and supporting paperwork to be submitted to town hall for purchases over $3,000. A board member asked for a minor wording change in the policy language (replacing "may" with "must" for submission) before the motion. The motion to approve the expenditure process during budget default for FY2026 as amended was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
On the credit-card policy, discussion centered on operational controls: who receives monthly statements, how suspected fraudulent charges are detected, the role of department heads vs. central administration, and the need for any card designee to sign an agreement prior to issuance. Members noted a $5,000 maximum credit limit per card in the draft and discussed processes for one-off purchases above that cap (e.g., pre-authorizations or purchase orders). Transfer station manager Jerry Cornett described operational situations where vendors require credit-card payment for expedited manufacturing, noting such purchases occasionally exceed the cap.
Several board members flagged language in the draft that would allow the town to deduct misused card amounts from an employee's payroll; one member said that practice "feels heavy handed and ... it's probably illegal," and the board asked staff to remove or rework that provision. Members recommended clarifying the internal process so department heads receive statements first and reconcile receipts promptly to spot discrepancies.
What happens next: staff will revise the credit-card policy text to address the board's drafting concerns (typos, the payroll-deduction language, clearer routing for statements, and designee signature requirements) and will circulate the updated draft for review. The PO threshold change is in effect as amended by the board vote for the budget-default period.
Board action recorded: vote to approve the revised expenditure process during budget default for FY2026 (PO threshold lowered to $3,000).
