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Home My WebLink AboutN-460 - Travel Authorizations Expense Claims CITY OF PASCO ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS Administrative Order No. 460 Finance Subject: Travel Authorization; Travel Expense Claims; and Initial Effective Date: Travel Expense Allowances April 18, 1983 Amend #1 Revised 1/14/97 4/15103 1015A9 Approved GC GC The following Administrative Order is effective October 5, 2009 and supersedes Administrative Order No. 4, dated 8/9/78; Administrative Order 38, dated 4/18/83 and 1/14/97; and Amendment No. 1, dated 4115103. I. PURPOSE: This Administrative Order is issued to establish policies and procedures regarding travel authorizations, allowances and reimbursements. Il. DEPARTMENTS AFFECTED: All. III. TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE: All travel on official business outside of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area requiring overnight accommodations or, if a travel advance is requested, shall be authorized in writing by the department director, or his/her designee. Travel incorporating one day's duration or less, shall require the approval of the division manager. Part I of the form entitled "Travel Advance Request and Authorization" (see Exhibit A attached) shall be completed by the employee requesting the travel authorization and submitted to his/her department director for approval. The employee shall provide (in the place designated on the form) a realistic estimate of the travel expenses to be incurred and shall indicate the amount of the travel advance request, if any. The department director shall review the request for travel and, if deemed appropriate, the department director shall sign his/her approval on the form in Part II and shall show the fund and account number to which the travel expense is to be charged, and shall submit the form to the Finance Manager for pre-audit review and for an endorsing signature of approval, if appropriate. If the Finance Manager finds the required amount of money is available in the indicated fund and account, and finds the advance is appropriate for travel, s/he will add an • endorsing signature to the form in Part III. If the Finance Manager finds the travel appropriation is insufficient, then the request form shall be returned unsigned to the department director, with a notation from the Finance Manager indicating the grounds for disapproval. Upon approval, the Finance Manager or his designee will forward the form to the Travel Advance Fund Custodian in Finance who shall be authorized to prepare the advance travel check. The Custodian of the Travel Advance Fund shall require an acknowledging signature in Part IV of the original copy by the employee to verify the receipt of the check from the Custodian. The Travel Advance Fund Custodian will retain a copy and give a copy to the employee requesting the travel. The Travel Advance Fund Custodian will keep one copy for his/her records and attach one copy to the Travel Advance Fund claims reimbursement submitted to Accounts Payable. IV. ADVANCE TRAVEL FUNDS REQUESTS: Only elected, appointed officials or employees shall be eligible for travel advances. Advance travel expenses funds will be granted only for out-of-town travel (away from the Tri-Cities metropolitan area) of more than one day's duration (involving overnight accommodations). If advanced travel funds are requested for expenses associated with a conference or seminar, a copy of the agenda is to be included with the advance travel request. Advance travel funds will not be issued for amounts less than$100.00. The "Travel Advance Request and Authorization" form must be submitted through the chain of command for the approval process, with enough lead time so the Custodian of the Advance Travel Fund in the Finance Division has a minimum of five (5) working days prior to the date of travel to process and prepare the check for the advance. A check for an advance will be available for pickup from the Fund Custodian one (1) working day prior to the beginning day of the travel. If cash advances are not settled within ten (10) working days of the ending date of travel, the Finance Manager may withhold the amount of advance from the employee's next paycheck and transfer the money to the Advance Travel fiend (Exhibit B). No advance of any kind shall be made to any officer or employee when he/she is delinquent in accounting for or repaying a prior advance for travel. Exceptions will be considered for those occasions when short notice of the meeting precludes compliance with the time requirements. i Administrative Order No.450: Travel Authorization;Expense Claims;Expense Allowances Page 2 V. TRAVEL EXPENSES CLAIMS: When official travel is completed, all actual expenses shall be submitted to the Finance Division by the employee within ten (10) calendar days following the completion of the travel period. These expenses shall be listed on the "Claim for Reimbursement of Expenses" voucher (see Exhibit C) and the voucher shall be signed by the employee and the department director on the designated signature lines and transmitted to the Finance Manager together with the employee's copy of the "Travel Advance Request and Authorization." In addition to attaching the employee's copy of the above form, the employee shall attach to the claims voucher: • All applicable registration, lodging and auto rental receipts for expenditures, • If expenses are associated with a conference or seminar, a copy of the registration and agenda must be attached. • Applicable receipts/documentation for meal claims (see section VII Meal Reimbursement). • Receipts for taxi fares and other miscellaneous items of a minor nature; however, the department director may require explanations where the dollar amounts appear unreasonably high. • A hard copy of payment confirmation (or e-ticket) purchase for airline tickets. • An explanation of all expenses which are not readily apparent. Any excess funds from the travel advance check not actually used for the authorized travel shall be returned with the claim for expenses. All travel expense claims not involving a cash advance should normally be submitted monthly, except that any claim less than $10.00 desirably should be held until the aggregate exceeds $10.00 and then be submitted for reimbursement. The Finance Manager (or designee) will audit the travel expense voucher for accuracy and will check expense items against the estimate of expenses originally provided by the employee. VI. MILEAGE PAYMENTS: Mileage will be reimbursed at the "Standard Mileage Rate" as published in the Internal Revenue Service Publication No. 463 for use of a privately-owned automobile for official business. If the employee receives auto allowance, any mileage reimbursement submitted must be adjusted by subtracting 50 miles from the total miles traveled. Administrative Order No.460:Travel Authorization;Expense Claims; Expense Allowances Page 3 VII. MEAL REIMBURSEMENTS: Involving Overnizht Accommodations. City employees and offci als may be reimbursed for meals when authorized on official business travel outside the Tri-City metropolitan area requiring overnight accommodations. Eligible meals will generally be reimbursed using the meal allowance method (without receipts). The applicable manager may specifically require receipts in lieu of using the meal allowance method, such requirement to be communicated prior to the approved travel. Reimbursements of receipts in excess of meal allowance rates will not be allowed, unless the meal was for a group function with a set cost for all participants. The reimbursement methods cannot be combined. The meal allowance rates are the "Standard Meal Allowance" or, as applicable, for the specific travel destination as published in Federal Travel Regulations. If meals are required for a portion of a day, the following percentages will be used as guidance: Breakfast 25%; Lunch 30%; Dinner 45%. The following guidelines shall be used for determining which meals an employee is eligible for when traveling partial days (if the employee is out of the City for the entire time period specified, (s)he is eligible for the allowance): • Breakfast.......................6:00 a.m. through 8:00 a.m. • Lunch ..........................11:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. • Dinner ...........................5:00 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. Not Involving Overnight Accommodations. City employees and officials may be reimbursed for meals, based on actual, reasonable receipts, when authorized on official business not involving overnight accommodations. Additionally, the cost of a business meal, where the primary purpose is to represent the City, shall be eligible for reimbursement; in these cases, a receipt covering the expenditure must be attached to the "Claim for reimbursement of Expenses." Internal Revenue Service regulations require that meal reimbursements not involving overnight accommodations be treated as taxable income to the employee. Tipping. Tipping is an allowable expense, but no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the charge for meal and non-alcohol beverage can be submitted for reimbursement. VIII. MISCELLANEOUS: Only reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by City officers or employees while performing official duties for the City will be reimbursed. No reimbursement will be made for personal expenses or entertainment. Administrative Order No.460: Travel Authorization;Expense Claims;Expense Allowances Page 4 CITY OF PASCO Exhibit A TRAVEL ADVANCE REQUEST AND AUTHORIZATION PART I: ( To Be Completed by Employee) Name of Employee Department Date I HEREBY REQUEST AUTHORIZATION TO ATTEND THE FOLLOW REQUIRED MEETING/SEMINAR AND THE TRAVEL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH,AS FOLLOWS: Title of SeminarANorkshop/Meeting Destination City: I will leave on: No of days off the job: And return on: Purpose: MY ESTIMATED OFFCIAL EXPENSES WILL BE AS FOLLOWS: Lodging: days @ LODGING: Meals: Breakfast: days @ $ Lunch: days @ $ - MEALS: Dinner: days @ $ Travel: Miles at Mile by Private Vehicle Miles by City Car Commercial Transportation TRAVEL: Other Charges: OTHER CHGS: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: I AM REQUESTING AN ADVANCE OF: $ PART II: (To be completed by department head) Approved by: Date: Charge to: Fund: Account: PART III: I hereby authorize issuing of Travel Advance Funds for the purpose as indicated. Finance Department Approval PART IV: Receipt for advance: 1 hereby acknowledge receipt of Check No. for $ dated from the Custodian of the Travel Advance Fund. EMPLOYEE'S SIGNATURE DATE EXHIBIT B . City of Pasco Advance Travel Reimbursement Policy I understand and acknowledge that by accepting this check # , in the amount of$ , I am responsible for filing a "Claim for Expenses" report within ten (10) working days of the return date stated on my Travel Authorization Request and Authorization form. I also acknowledge and agree that if I have not submitted my "Claim for Expenses" report within the ten-day limit, the amount advanced to me from the Advance Travel Account will be withheld from my pay during the following pay period and that a 10% interest charge may be charged on the outstanding amount. 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