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Audit committee urged to tighten travel and p‑card approvals after review finds oversight gap
Summary
Reviewers told the Audit Committee that some travel reimbursements and p‑card charges may not have independent review; members suggested requiring liaison commissioner or supervisor sign-off and adding policy language to prevent self‑approval.
An internal reviewer told the Audit Committee the county currently has a control gap in travel and p‑card approvals: in some cases a director or employee can submit travel reimbursement or p‑card charges without an independent reviewer signing off. The reviewer recommended making a policy change so a liaison commissioner or a supervisor must review and sign off on travel and p‑card statements.
"Nobody should be getting their travel approved without somebody above them looking at it," the agency official said. The presenter also flagged one example where a staff member's travel reimbursements might not have an independent reviewer and suggested the supervising elected liaison should sign travel approvals for the departments they oversee.
Committee members asked staff to review existing policy language and return with proposed amendments. The reviewer said a policy review and communication plan will be prepared before year-end to make sign-off expectations clearer and, if needed, to add a policy requirement that employees cannot approve their own travel or card reconciliations.
