The following village credit card policy is hereby adopted.
(a) Purpose of policy. The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the village to provide for the issuance of charge cards to officers and employees for the purposes of covering expenses incident to authorized travel and a cost-effective streamlined process for purchasing items for the operation of the village for business purposes.
(b) Appointment of Compliance Officer. There shall be a compliance officer appointed by the Mayor who shall maintain physical control of village credit cards.
(1) The Village Fiscal Officer cannot fill this position.
(2) Employees who are authorized to use a village credit card are not eligible.
(3) The Compliance Officer shall be an employee who shall be available during regular business hours in order to issue and monitor card usage.
(4) The Compliance Officer is not eligible to use the village credit card, subject to the limitations set forth hereinbelow.
(c) Debit cards prohibited. No political subdivision may hold or utilize a debit card account, except for law enforcement purposes. Use of a debit card is a violation of R.C. § 2913.21.
(d) Officers or positions authorized to use village credit card. The following positions are authorized to use a village credit card:
(1) Village department heads, including the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Fiscal Officer, Street/Maintenance Superintendent and Mayor’s Court Clerk;
(2) Building and grounds supervisor;
(3) Vehicle maintenance technician; and
(4) Other employees (including the Compliance Officer under special circumstances with additional approval by the Mayor, per occurrence) may be issued a credit card for travel purposes only if they are attending training or a conference on behalf of the village. They must acknowledge receipt of the credit card policy prior to issuance of card.
(e) Types of credit cards permitted. The following types of cards are permitted:
(1) Visa; the village shall utilize First Federal Bank of the Midwest; and
(2) Online purchasing accounts (i.e. Amazon Business and the like).
(f) Number of village credit cards.
(1) Issued cards.
A. Police Department: Police Chief;
B. Fire Department: Fire Chief;
C. Fiscal Officer;
D. Mayor; and
E. Village Street/Maintenance Superintendent.
(2) Non-issued (sign out) cards: three.
A. In possession of Compliance Officer; and
B. The Compliance Officer shall have three separate cards to issue/monitor
(g) Types of expenses permitted for village credit card use. The following types of expenses are permitted for use of the village credit card:
(1) Travel accommodations;
(2) Gasoline/fuel;
(3) Office supplies;
(4) One-time purchases with vendors for whom the village does not have an open account;
(5) Utilities, including gas, electric, telephone and internet; and
(6) Administrative benefits such as Workers Compensation premiums and health care premiums.
(h) Procedures for usage of non-issued credit card.
(1) The Compliance Officer shall maintain a log for checking in and out credit cards.
(2) Credit cards shall be stored in a locked cabinet or drawer.
(3) The employee or officer using the card shall provide the receipt along with a purchase requisition upon returning the credit card to the Compliance Officer.
(i) Procedure for credit card issuance.
(1) A village department head may request that a new card be issued from an existing vendor or a new vendor.
(2) The Fiscal Officer shall determine issuance of any new cards.
(3) The Compliance Officer shall report lost or stolen cards and keep track of card associated pin numbers.
(j) Maximum credit limit.
(1) Visa.
A. Each card shall have a limit of not more than $6,000.
B. The Fiscal Officer shall have the authority to temporarily increase an individual’s credit limit for an unusually high one-time expenditure.
(2) Virtual credit cards. Virtual credit cards shall have an individual approved limit by the Fiscal Officer and the Mayor.
(k) Rebates, points and rewards.
(1) Any rebates, points and rewards issued by the credit card company shall be the property of the village and shall be credited to the general administration of the village. No employee or officer of the village shall be permitted to personally benefit from any of such rebates, points or awards.
(2) The Fiscal Officer annually must file a report with the legislative authority detailing all rewards received based on the use of the political subdivision’s credit card account.
(l) Credit card usage report. Department heads will be distributed a credit card statement report from time to time showing all open purchases for their respective department. Purchase orders need to be in place for purchases made on the credit card.
(m) Unauthorized use.
(1) The use of a credit card account for expenses beyond those authorized by the Legislative Authority constitutes misuse of a credit card account. An officer or employee of the political subdivision or a public servant as defined under section R.C. § 2921.01 who knowingly misuses a credit card account held by the Legislative Authority violates R.C.§ 2913.21, which is a misdemeanor of the first
degree.
(2) Credit cards may never be used to purchase items for personal use or for non-village purposes, even if the cardholder intends to reimburse the village.
(n) Miscellaneous provisions.
(1) All village credit cards must include the village on their faces, in addition to any other name.
(2) The Compliance Officer and the Legislative Authority, at least quarterly, must review the number of cards and accounts issued, the number of active cards and accounts issued, the cards’ and accounts’ expiration dates, and the cards and accounts’ credit limits.
(3) The Fiscal Officer must annually file a report with the Legislative Authority detailing all rewards received based on the use of the municipal corporation’s credit card account.
(Ord. 874, passed 1-22-2019; Ord. O2021-014, passed 12-14-2021)