Chapter 2.49
TRAVEL EXPENSE

Sections:

2.49.010    Allowance of expenses incurred by officers and employees.

2.49.010 Allowance of expenses incurred by officers and employees.

The following rules shall govern the allowance of expenses incurred by officers and employees of the city in travel on the city’s business:

A. Travel Outside the Tri-Cities Area.

1. Any officer or employee of the city who, with the approval of the city manager, uses a private car in travel outside the city on the city’s business, and any councilmember who uses a private car in such travel, shall be reimbursed for the cost of using such car at the same per mile rate as established by the Internal Revenue Service. The rate will be applied to the actual mileage traveled between the points of origin and destination and for actual mileage traveled on city business in the city or place of destination, except that no reimbursement shall be made for any distance traveled between the points of origin and destination which exceed 110 percent of the distance between said points as determined according to the then-current Rand-McNally Standard Distance Chart.

2. The mileage allowance will be paid only to the owner or operator of the private car and to only one person per vehicle.

3. In addition to the mileage allowance, the city will reimburse out-of-pocket costs of overnight and daytime parking and the costs of any ferry, tunnel, toll road and toll bridge charges.

4. A private car or other mode of transportation may be used if a city vehicle is not available or if such use of a private car or other mode of transportation is authorized by the city manager.

5. Where more than one officer or employee of the city travel to the same point at the same time, they shall, if at all possible, go in the same vehicle.

6. When an officer or employee uses a private automobile so that his family can accompany him or for other personal reasons, reimbursement for automobile travel expense shall be limited to the cost of coach rail or coach air transportation between the points of origin and destination, whichever is less.

7. Rail and air transportation shall be reimbursed at actual cost.

8. Out-of-pocket costs for normal living expenses and necessary taxi service, regardless of the form of transportation used, shall be reimbursed by the city.

9. Reimbursement for meal expenses shall be limited to the Internal Revenue Service maximum federal per diem rates as listed in Table 2 of Internal Revenue Service Publication 1542.

B. Reimbursement for Use of Private Vehicles in the Tri-Cities Area.

1. The city council may authorize payment to an employee utilizing a privately owned vehicle on a regular basis, a flat monthly sum in an amount to be determined by the council, as and for reimbursement for privately owned automobile expenses incurred by the employee for and on behalf of the city.

2. Reimbursement of expenses for use of a private vehicle on city business for employees duly authorized by the city manager shall be at the same per mile rate as established by the Internal Revenue Service.

3. The mayor and members of the council may be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred within the Tri-Cities area while on official city business at the rate provided in subsection (B)(2) of this section or as provided in RMC 2.32.045 or 2.32.055 if such official is eligible therefor. [Ord. 797 § 1.01; Ord. 69-74 § 1.01; Ord. 15-79 § 1.01; Ord. 17-80 § 1.01; Ord. 19-89; Ord. 21-92; Ord. 10-00].