TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND EXPENSE POLICY

Transcription

1 TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND EXPENSE POLICY I. PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY In order to protect the interest of the City and ensure like treatment for all, uniform policies are hereby established to govern expense allowances to be granted City employees who travel out of the City on City business. II. SCOPE OF THIS POLICY This policy is applicable to all City of Harlingen employees. Elective officials and appointed board members of the City should comply with these procedures in the expenditure of public funds and interest of administrative uniformity. III. PROCEDURE Each employee must obtain City Manager s approval prior to departure when traveling on official business. No payments will be made for registration, hotel, or airline tickets unless the Finance Department has a Travel Request/Expense Report approved by the City Manager. Per diem will be paid for meals and incidentals, but receipts for hotel and any other expenses must be obtained and must be submitted along with the Travel Request/Expense Report. Reimbursement will be on actual cost basis and shall be supported by ticket stubs, original receipts, airline ticket voucher, etc. Petty cash shall not be used to reimburse any cost associated with travel and training. A. ADVANCES 1. The City of Harlingen will prepay registration, transportation and lodging expenses after the following travel and training procedures have been completed: a. Submit a Travel Request/Expense Report with Part I completed, to the Finance Department (Travel and Training Clerk); b. Submit a Check Requisition with an explanation of what expenses are to be paid (i.e. lodging, transportation, registration fees, etc.), no later than five working days prior to the payables date preceding the date the check is required. 2. A Check Requisition for advances travel expenses must be submitted with the Travel Request/Expense Report, however, the check will not be released any earlier than 5 calendar days from the date of departure. The advance for travel expense will be accomplished by submitting a Check Requisition to the Finance Department (Travel and Training Clerk) no later than five working days prior to the payables date preceding the date 1

2 the check is required. Advancing of money for travel expense does not constitute approval for expenditure of the entire amount so advanced, as all expenditures must be justified and approved. By requesting a travel advance and signing the Travel Request/Expense Report, the employee authorizes the City to deduct the entire amount of the travel advance from his/her paycheck if the Travel Request/Expense Report is not completed and submitted to the Finance Department within ten working days of returning from the trip. 3. No travel advance for meals and incidentals will be issued to an employee whose travel will not require him/her to be absent from the city overnight. B. TRANSPORTATION The City will pay all reasonable and necessary transportation costs incurred for required travel relating to work/training. The mode of transportation used shall be that which will enable the traveler to make the most productive use of time at the least personal inconvenience and at the lowest overall cost. Employees who receive a car allowance are not eligible for mileage reimbursement for the first one hundred miles travel in their personal vehicle. 1. Commercial Travel Employees using commercial carriers for transportation on official business shall use the least expensive class accommodation. Upgrades to a higher class of service will be at the employee s expense. Frequent flyer coupons or points may be retained by the employee provided he/she has obtained the lowest fare available with any carrier. Selection of higher fares and manipulation of the route for the purpose of obtaining value coupons or points is prohibited. 2. Taxicabs/Rental Cars The use of taxicabs shall be generally preferred over rental vehicles. Taxicabs, courtesy shuttle service, buses or other hotel limousine service should be utilized when available. In the event a rental car is used, a brief written statement should be submitted stating why the use of a rental car was necessary and more beneficial to the City. Specific approval for the rental car must be indicated on the Travel Request/Expense report. There is no mileage reimbursement for use of a rental car. Once the City business is completed, the rental car must be returned to the car rental company. 2

3 3. Private Auto When an employee travels in his/her personal vehicle, the City of Harlingen will reimburse mileage at the maximum rate per mile allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. An employee who receives a car allowance, must subtract one hundred miles from the total of miles traveled for each reimbursable occurrence. The Official State Mileage Guide will be used for reimbursement to and from the destination only. Inner city mileage will be reimbursed with the City Manager or Department Head s approval, the approval will be a written memorandum attached to the Travel Request/Expense Report. All inner city mileage must be documented (date, destination, and mileage). The City will not reimburse for expenses above what it would cost had the employee used commercial transportation. 4. City Owned Vehicle When travel by automobile is approved for official business, city-owned vehicles shall be used by employees that do not receive a car allowance, when one is available. A fuel credit card may be issued since no car allowance is received. There is no mileage reimbursement for use of a City-owned vehicle. Employees that receive a car allowance are not allowed the use of a cityowned vehicle or fuel credit card. C. MEALS AND INCIDENTALS 1. Meals and incidental expenses will be reimbursed on a per diem of thirty ($30) dollars except for cities listed in Internal Revenue Service Publication 1542 with higher per diem rates. When an employee travels on official business requiring travel of 20 miles or more and is required to be absent from the city overnight and lodging and the meals are not included as part of the registration, tuition, etc., the cost of the meals and incidentals will be reimbursed at the maximum rate of thirty ($30) dollars per day or at the higher rate listed in Publication (See Appendix A for breakdown of per diem by meal and departure and return times.) 2. Meals and incidental expenses will be reimbursed as in paragraph 1 above when an employee travels on official business requiring travel of 20 miles or more and is not required to be absent from the city overnight and meals are not included. However, this per diem reimbursement will be done through the employee s paycheck. This is necessary because the per diem paid when the employee is not absent from the city overnight is taxable income to the employee. 3

4 No reimbursement will be made for the cost of alcoholic beverages. D. SPOUSE OR FAMILY MEMBER When an employee takes a spouse or family member on an official trip, the employee will be personally responsible for all of the family members expenses and will be reimbursed only for the expenses the employee would have incurred traveling alone. E. TELEPHONE CALLS Business related telephone charges will be reimbursed which includes, but are not limited to the following: - Notify office of room number and phone number; - Call to relay information about schedule delays on the return trip; and - Returning office calls. Reimbursement for personal phone calls will be allowed for the following: - Safe arrival call (maximum of $5.00, excluding international calls); - Call to relay information about schedule delays on the return trip; and - Phone calls in response to an emergency at home. Excluding the safe arrival call, all other phone calls require a written explanation when the traveler s expense statement is submitted. F. TRAVEL REQUEST/EXPENSE REPORT A Travel Request/Expense Report form must be completed with the proper approvals and forwarded to the Finance Department within ten working days after the return to the City. The expenses for one trip must be submitted prior to receiving any cash advance for a subsequent trip. Funds due to the City of Harlingen along with receipts are to be submitted with the travel report. Excessive and unnecessary expenses will not be reimbursed. (i.e. excessive per diem, mileage, etc.) G. EXCEPTION The City Manager may exempt an employee from the provisions of this regulation at any time should it be determined that the exception is warranted by extraordinary circumstances or operation requirements. 4

5 H. AUDITS Completed signed Travel Request/Expense Reports will be audited by the Finance Department. Revised December 2,