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County Changes Travel Reimbursement Rate
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County Changes Travel Reimbursement Rate
By Dave Maxwell
Staff Writer
After having changed the travel reimbursement rate for county employees to 29 cents a mile shortly before County department budgets were due, the Lincoln County Commissioners, by a 3-2 vote, changed the rate to 42 cents a mile during a special meeting held June 24. Commissioners Ronda Hornbeck and Paul Mathews voted No.
Commissioners also voted to have the County buy a second car for employees to use on official trips. Often times, however, county employees have to use their own car for travel and reimbursed later.
The County already has a Ford Taurus for use, but some employees don't like it because it remains badly out of wheel alignment. County Grants Administrator Phyllis Robistow said, "it would cost too much to fix the alignment than the car is worth." Efforts will continue to try to get a grant to buy another car or come up with some Capital Improvement money, she said.
In an effort to reduce costs in the 2009-2010 budget, Commissioners in May proposed cutting the travel rate from 55 cents a mile to 29 cents. The Planning Department though, was the only department that submitted their budget for the new fiscal year with the lower rate figured in.
The Planning Department staff was not pleased with the vote to raise the reimbursement rate, and said it would "blow their budget apart." Commissioners said they did realize they would likely have to augment the Planning Department budget and possibly other budgets as well, later on.
The State policy for government reimbursement is currently 55 cents a mile, but Commissioners have the option of choosing whatever rate they wanted and decided on the 42 cents a mile rate.
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