At its Dec. 3 meeting, the Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously approved updates and revised language in the Hays County Policy for Credit Use, following a request from county staff to outline the various processes since the creation of the Purchasing Office.
“This is in result to the last court that we met, Nov. 19, we updated our credit card contract with the division of purchasing coming out of the Auditor's Office, just updating some of the verbiage to remove Auditor's Office to Purchasing Office,” explained Stephanie Hunt, purchasing agent.
Some of the changes include removing “credit card limit shall not exceed $1,500.00 without commissioners court approval” to replace it with “the Purchasing Office will review the requested credit card limit with the Budget Office prior to submitting the recommended credit card limit to commissioners court for approval.”
“We did remove the $1,500 limit. We always come to court and request a limit anyways. Most of it is over $1,500, but I put in there that the Purchasing Office will review the credit card limit with the Budget Office because what we are looking at is, normally, the credit card requests are for training and continuing ed[ucation],” Hunt said.
“So, we are looking at how much money they typically spend in that budget category to give them a more appropriate credit card limit to withstand their travel for their training.”
Other changes include updating some of the verbiage as far as turning in receipts to the Auditor's Office, not purchasing, as well as other clarifications that were needed in the policy.
“Then, on number nine, just clarifying that the countywide credit cards that can be checked out are those that we have to like Lowe's, Best Buy [and] Home Depot,” Hunt explained. “We have those cards in our office, they check them out, bring the receipt back and we review the receipts for compliance and make sure there is not sales tax on those. If it's over $500, that they got a purchase order on, those types of things and [we] return those to the Auditor's Office.”
Judge Ruben Becerra mentioned that, as he and commissioner Michelle Cohen serve on the committee that is specifically regarding this topic, there was an almost unanimous request for the credit limit to increase. He questioned how that is reflected in this policy.
“What you're referring to is the purchasing policy, which we are finalizing all those edits to give you guys kind of the rough final draft of all of the things that were discussed and all that. This is just for the credit card use policy.
So, as it stands now, the limit is still $500.
Until we finalize the purchasing policy and bring it to court and have that approved, the limit is still $500,” Hunt answered. “Once we do the purchasing policy finalization, then whatever you guys approve is the new limit.
In here, it doesn’t really talk about a limit; the only limit is the limit to the card. Usually, when we would come to court, some cards have a $1,500 limit, some have a $5,000 limit [and] some have a $10,000, depending on the level of use in the department and what it is being used for. So, when we are talking about the limit for those, that's what that is in reference to.”
To maintain transparency, Becerra echoed Hunt’s explanation and stated, “I just want the viewing public to know, because some of the viewing public are department heads, that we hear you loud and clear.
For [functionality] and efficiency of your departments, raising your limit is something that will be coming back to us and we will address it at that time.”
This is just for the countywide credit card, Hunt said, as not all departments have one. There are some departments that want one, while others do not: “As those come up, we review them and bring them to court to get permission.”
The full credit card policy, as updated and listed in agenda documents, is below: 1. Credit cards are to be used for county business only and for expenses that the county would normally be obligated to pay.
2. Issuance of credit cards is subject to commissioners court approval. The Purchasing Office will review all credit card requests and submit an item to the commissioners court for approval. Cards will be requested for a specific position within the department and will be issued in the name of an individual employee and only that employee is authorized to use the card.
3. Prior to being issued a credit card, the employee and the department head or elected official must sign a copy of the policy stating that they have read the policy and agree to abide by its rules and procedures.
4. The Purchasing Office will review the requested credit card limit with the Budget Office prior to submitting the recommended credit card limit to commissioners court for approval.
5. Receipts must be turned into the Auditor’s Office - Accounts Payable within 72 hours after the employee returns to work. Payments will be made based upon receipts turned into the Auditor’s Office - Accounts Payable and not the credit card statement.
6. While traveling, food purchases in excess of those amounts allowed in the travel policy will be reimbursed by the employee upon return.
7. Failure to follow this policy will result in the termination of the employee’s right to use the credit card.Any use of cards not related to county business will result in commissioners court action up to and including termination of employment.
8. The department head or elected official is personally responsible from personal funds, not county budgeted funds, for all late charges and interest that may be assessed.
9. Countywide credit cards being held in the Purchasing Office, i.e. Lowe’s, Walmart, Best buy, etc., that may be “checked out” by department heads, elected officials or designated employees must be returned to the Purchasing Office immediately upon the return of the employee, along with the receipts for any purchases. After Purchasing has verified the receipts meet procurement guidelines, no sales tax, under $500.00 without PO, etc., receipts will be turned into the Auditor’s Office – Accounts Payable.
Listen to the full discussion at www. hayscountytx.gov/ commissioners-courtlive-
stream.
