Committee refers proposed county credit-card policy for further review
Summary
The Purchasing director presented a proposed credit-card policy to complement the county’s p-card program, including transaction limits and reconciliation procedures. Committee members raised oversight and prompt-pay concerns and referred Ordinance 20250010 for second reading with anticipated final passage on Dec. 9.
The county’s Department of Purchasing proposed a new county credit-card policy to supplement the existing procurement card (p-card) program and allow credit cards for small-dollar purchases, subject to transaction and monthly limits and oversight controls.
Paul Porter, Purchasing director, told the Procurement and Contracting Committee the policy mirrors the p-card program in many safeguards but would add additional transaction flexibility and seek cash-back rewards from card issuers. Porter said the median p-card purchase last year was about $120 and that typical cardholder transactions are small; the draft credit-card policy proposes a $5,000 single-transaction limit, a $7,500 daily limit and a $10,000 monthly limit for cardholders, with higher-limit cards administered by the fiscal office for approved purchases.
Committee members questioned who would oversee limits, how the county would avoid interest payments or late fees, and how to prevent credit-card issuers from unilaterally raising cardholder limits. Porter said the purchasing department would manage hard limits in the card-management system and the fiscal office would handle monthly payments to avoid finance charges; he also said the county would use a competitive process to select an issuer and include selection factors in the policy.
Members asked for a post-pilot report that documents realized rewards, reconciliation performance and whether the policy improves prompt payment outcomes. The committee moved Ordinance 20250010 to second reading and anticipated final passage Dec. 9.
