Daniels County commissioners approve duplicate county credit card for hotel reservations

The Daniels County Commission on Aug. 6 voted to obtain a duplicate copy of the county credit card so county offices can reserve hotel rooms and handle small, routine purchases without repeatedly submitting claim forms.

Tammy Flater, the county Clerk of Court, told commissioners she needs a local card to reserve rooms and pay hotel bills for staff attending conferences; she said she had discussed the idea with the county auditor (Kurt) to make sure it complied with auditing requirements. Flater cautioned that widely issuing cards can create accounting headaches — lost receipts and unauthorized charges could force the clerk's office to chase invoices — and suggested limiting card use to hotel reservations as a practical policy.

Commissioners discussed options for an extra copy of the existing card and for procedures to keep the accounts payable process intact. A motion to obtain a duplicate card "what we got" was made and seconded and recorded as carried without opposition.

The board did not set new written policy language during the meeting; several commissioners and staff said they would work with the auditor to define allowable uses and tracking processes to prevent bypassing regular accounts-payable controls. Staff was directed to request the duplicate from the issuing company and to bring policy recommendations back to the board.

The action was procedural and intended to ease conference logistics rather than expand recurring purchasing authority for departments. The clerk’s office will continue to submit claims for reimbursement when departments use personal cards and will follow the auditing office’s guidance on documentation and limits.