(A) The city is empowered to hold and maintain a credit card account for the use of its employees.
(B) The Mayor may apply for and obtain a credit card account to be used for purchases for the city only by following the procedures set out in this section. Any credit card account application shall be signed by the Mayor and the City Controller, provided that there shall be only 1 account open at any time. Any credit card account shall be in the name of the city.
(C) All credit cards issued on the city credit card account shall be applied for, held, maintained, and monitored by the Mayor or his or her designee.
(D) The Mayor shall be responsible for maintaining written guidelines regarding the use of said credit cards that are not inconsistent with this section.
(E) Only the Mayor or City Controller may permit a Director, department head or other employee to use a credit card issued on the city credit card account.
(F) The Mayor shall provide the City Controller with the name of the issuer of the credit card, the credit card account number and the expiration date of any card issued on the account.
(G) Whenever it is no longer necessary or prudent for a city employee to use a credit card in the performance of official city business, or immediately upon demand by the Mayor or his or her designee, such employee shall return the credit card to the Mayor or his or her designee.
(H) Charges shall only be made on the credit card to purchase items or services which are authorized and budgeted in the budget of the city.
(I) After each credit card use, the city employee who uses the credit card shall submit to the Mayor, or his or her designee, proper detailed documentation evidencing such use.
(J) Within 72 hours of returning to the office for normal business hours, the person using the credit card shall provide a copy of the credit card receipt and shall inform their supervisor in writing of the following:
(1) The purpose of the purchase;
(2) The line item from which the purchase is to be paid;
(3) An itemized list of all charges incurred and whether those are paid from different budget line items.
(K) All credit card billing statements shall be sent by the issuer to the City Controller and the charges on the cards shall be paid by the City Controller from the appropriate budget line item pursuant to the claim procedures of the city.
(L) All claims for payment must be properly itemized and documented. Improperly itemized or documented charges, as well as all interest, carrying charges, and/or penalties shall be the personal responsibility of the city employee using the credit card.
(M) The Mayor, or his or her designee, shall ensure that a proper accounting system or log is maintained on all city credit card usage. This system or log shall include, at a minimum, the dates of credit card use, the identity of the users, the amounts and account numbers charged, and the dates of credit card issuance and return. City credit cards shall not be used to bypass the city's accounting system.
(N) The City Controller shall pay all charges incurred on the credit card account promptly so that no interest carrying charges or penalties will be incurred due to late payments. Any city employee who causes interest, carrying charges and/or penalties to be added to the credit card account by a failure to timely provide the required information to the City Controller shall be personally liable for the interest or carrying charge.
(O) The city is authorized to pay the annual fees, including membership fees, service fees or renewal charges, if any, associated with any credit card account opened in the name of the city pursuant to this section.
(P) City credit cards shall be used for city business only. No credit card issued to the city shall be used by any person for a private purchase.
(Q) Penalty. The penalty for violation of this section shall be a fine of not less than $100, nor more than $2,500 for a first violation of this chapter, and not less than $100, nor more than $7,500 for a second or subsequent violation of this section and each violation shall constitute a separate violation. Any person found to be in violation of this section shall be required to compensate the city for any and all costs, including interest, carrying charges, and/or penalties incurred due to the violation of this section. In addition, any city employee found to be in violation of this section and fails to make restitution to the city shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
(Ord. 5039, passed 6-4-2007)