Rehoboth Institutes New Spending Policy for employees

The Board of Selectmen approved a new Municipal Procurement and Credit Card policy for town employees.

“This is not your private business,” Town Administrator Sue Pimental said Monday. “There are certain rules. You can’t use a town credit card for personal purposes and then get reimbursed.”

“This is our policy,” Chair Skip Vadnais noted. “We can amend it at our pleasure. This is a good place to start. Money is going to be real tight in the near future. I think it’s just good policy.”

The purpose of the policy is to “establish strict internal financial controls for the issuance, usage, and oversight of town-issued credit cards and procurement cards (P-cards).”

“The Town of Rehoboth requires all departments to utilize standard municipal purchasing workflows as their primary operating procedure. To protect town funds, strict transaction limits are established and monitored by the Town Accountant.

A Standard Single Transaction Limit: Maximum $1000 per individual transaction.

Standard Monthly Credit Limit: Maximum $5000 per monthly cycle per card.

Emergency exceptions: During a state or locally declared emergency, limits may be temporarily increased up to $25,000 upon joint written authorization of the Board of Selectmen.

Transaction Splitting Prohibited: Splitting a single larger purchase into multiple smaller transactions to circumvent the $1000 individual limit is strictly forbidden and constitutes policy misuse.”

There are exceptions for annual software subscriptions, pre-approved municipal training, conference lodging (hotel stays), and emergency field purchases.

The town credit card can not be used for routine inventory or supplies, personal expenses, alcohol, tobacco, and controlled substances, cash advances, gift cards, or fuel purchases for personal vehicles.

In addition, the town also has a travel and expense reimbursement policy, specifying regulations on lodging, meals, and transportation.