Travel expense adjustments and special approvals

(a) When government quarters and/or meals are furnished at no cost or at low cost, the amount of per diem allowance shall be reduced by the director of finance. (b) The mayor or council chairman, for their respective branches of government, may disallow any unauthorized, improper, or unreasonable expense. The mayor or council chairman may also authorize expenses in excess of the established limits or may authorize meals with business meetings, awards and recognition events, and entertainment of important persons, or may approve exceptions with good cause to any provision relating to travel and expenses, provided: (1) No exception involving public funds shall be authorized without a public purpose; (2) A written request for authorization is made and approved in writing; (3) Documentation establishing that the expenditure will be for a public purpose is attached to the written request; (4) The purchase of alcoholic beverages is prohibited unless provided by authorized exception; (5) The purchase of gifts in an amount of over $100 per person receiving the gift is prohibited unless provided by authorized exception; (6) To receive reimbursement for the authorized exception, the following documentation must be submitted to the employee’s or officer’s department head and to the director of finance within seven days of the expenditure: (A) A memorandum setting forth the reasons for the exceptional expenditure along with a copy of the written request for authorization; and (B) Any additional documentation submitted with the written request for authorization; and (7) The director of finance shall maintain a record log of all travel expenditures that are authorized through an exception as permitted by this subsection, which log shall be available for public inspection. (c) The mayor may delegate the authority granted under this section to any department or agency head within the executive branch. (d) Meals may also be provided to employees who do not otherwise qualify under this section or under any negotiated employee contract while attending workshops, conferences, or training sessions at the request or direction of the department head and to the benefit of the County.