All allowances listed below pertain to county employees while on approved county business.
(A) Transportation.
(1) For transportation by privately owned automobile: $0.24 per mile of travel and actual cost of parking, road, bridge, tunnel, and ferry tolls.
(2) For transportation by airline, bus, railroad, or other public conveyances: actual cost of tourist class fare.
(B) Lodging.
(1) Reimbursement for actual cost for reasonable accommodations is not to exceed $30 per day in-state and $38 per day out-of-state.
(2) Convention or conference accommodations headquartered at a particular hotel may be reimbursed for the actual rate at that hotel.
(3) Receipts for lodging shall be required.
(C) Meals.
(1) Maximum reimbursement for meals shall be according to the following table.
Meal | In- and Out-of-State |
Breakfast | $4 |
Lunch | $5 |
Dinner | $9 |
(2) Actual cost reimbursement will be allowed for “banquet” or special meals which are a part of a convention, meeting, or seminar.
(3) If an employee is not involved in overnight travel, there normally will be no reimbursement for breakfast or dinner, unless it is a special situation approved by the County Manager. In order for the county to reimburse for breakfast, the employee will have to have been involved in overnight travel for the previous night and for dinner, overnight travel the same night.
(4) There will be no reimbursement of any expense for alcoholic beverages.
(5) There will be no reimbursement for meals in the county.
(6) Employees engaged in travel that would encompass a complete days’ meals may be reimbursed the total daily rate for any combination of meals and are not subject to the per meal requirement. Receipts are still required for all reimbursements.
(D) Registration and miscellaneous.
(1) Registration fees as shown by receipt; and
(2) Other allowable expenses include cab fare and baggage handling.
(E) Prior approval of travel. All travel requiring reimbursement by the county must have prior approval as follows.
(1) Meetings requiring overnight travel or registration must be presented to the County Commissioners at their monthly meeting.
(2) Meetings not requiring overnight travel or registration fees must be approved by the County Manager.
(3) Travel requests must be submitted on the necessary forms prior to the anticipated travel in order for the county to reimburse expenses.
(F) Receipts required for reimbursement. Receipts are required for reimbursement of meals, lodging, airfare, conference registrations, and any miscellaneous expenses.
(G) Travel.
(1) Whenever possible, employees should travel by county vehicle, rather than by personal car.
(2) When two or more officials or employees are attending the same meeting, conference, or workshop, they should travel and lodge together whenever possible and appropriate.
(H) Use of county vehicles.
(1) When not in use during normal business hours, all county vehicles shall be parked at the courthouse, Health Department, or other regular workplace. The following exceptions are permitted.
(a) Because these officials must frequently attend meetings, respond to emergency situations, and the like, outside of normal business hours, the County Manager and County Engineer may use vehicles assigned to them for home to work and work to home travel.
(b) Where solid waste collection routes are such that mileage can be saved by ending or beginning daily routes at the operator’s home, rather than at the landfill, the County Engineer may authorize operators to park solid waste collection vehicles at home upon completion of daily routes.
(c) The Sheriff may authorize his or her officers to park the vehicles assigned to them at their place of residence when not on duty.
(d) When an employee is occasionally required to travel on county business before or after normal working hours, the appropriate department head may authorize the employee to drive a county vehicle to his or her home.
(2) State law makes it unlawful for any officer, agent, or employee of the county to use for any private purpose whatsoever, any motor vehicle of any type of description whatsoever belonging to the county.
(I) County employees traveling on state reimbursement.
(1) Should a county employee undertake state and/or county business and the county receive reimbursement from the state based on state travel limits, the employee will be allowed to expend and be reimbursed by the county up to the state travel limits.
(2) The employee will have the responsibility to provide necessary receipts to the county prior to reimbursement. Upon receipt of state reimbursement, the employee or his or her department must provide an itemized list of the state payment to the County Finance office.
(Ord. passed 10-2-1990; Ord. passed 10-3-1990)