Chapter 3.72
TRAVEL ADVANCE FUND

Sections:

3.72.010    Purpose.

3.72.020    Fund established, amount, and expenditures.

3.72.030    Funding.

3.72.040    Bookkeeping.

3.72.050    Advance request.

3.72.060    Vouchers.

3.72.070    Default.

3.72.080    Additional means of payment.

3.72.010 Purpose.

The city council finds that it is unreasonable and, in some instances, unfair to expect city officials and employees, while on officially authorized city business, to personally pay for the cost of travel, housing and subsistence from their own resources and then wait for several weeks for reimbursement. In addition, the council finds that it is not in the best interest of the city to provide credit cards for such general use. The city council desires to establish a fund from which city officials and employees may obtain an advance payment to use to pay the actual, necessary, and reasonable expenses incurred while traveling on official business for the city of Soap Lake. (Ord. 948 § 1, 2001).

3.72.020 Fund established, amount, and expenditures.

The city clerk-treasurer is hereby authorized to create and establish a revolving checking account within the current expense fund of the city, to be known as “city of Soap Lake travel advance fund, clerk-treasurer, custodian.” The city clerk-treasurer shall be the custodian of the fund at all times. The fund shall be used solely for the purpose of making advances for expenses of city employees and officials while travelling on city business and for no other. Expenditures from the fund shall be to elected city officials, managers, and employees for cash advances for travel while on official city business approved in advance by the mayor, and not for direct payments to vendors. (Ord. 948 § 2, 2001).

3.72.030 Funding.

The above authorized fund shall be funded by a warrant wherein the disbursement shall be debited to a balance sheet asset account entitled “advance travel expense revolving fund,” and shall be credited to a balance sheet liability account to be entitled “reserve for advance travel expense revolving fund,” and for such purpose the amount of $1,000 is transferred to the fund from unexpended and unencumbered sums in the current expense fund. (Ord. 948 § 3, 2001).

3.72.040 Bookkeeping.

The city clerk-treasurer shall keep such books, accounts and records as are necessary to control and report the financial operations of the fund and for such purpose shall use forms provided by the Washington State Auditor, (if any), and shall follow the guidelines contained in the “BARS” Manuel promulgated by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. (Ord. 948 § 4, 2001).

3.72.050 Advance request.

When it is necessary for any city employee or official to travel on city business, after receiving the approval of the mayor to make the trip, he or she may request an advance from the fund to cover the reasonably estimated necessary expenses of the proposed travel. Such request shall include, at a minimum, an estimate of the reasonable necessary expenses, date of request, name of applicant, destination, purpose and mode of travel, anticipated departure and return dates, amount requested, date of official approval of the trip, and the signature of applicant. The custodian shall thereupon prepare a check drawn on the checking account established by SLMC 3.72.020 in favor of the applicant in the indicated proper amount. (Ord. 948 § 5, 2001).

3.72.060 Vouchers.

On or before the tenth day of the month following the authorized travel period, every employee or official to whom anticipated expenses have been advanced shall submit to the custodian a fully itemized travel expense voucher (to be provided by the custodian in a form approved by the Washington State Auditor under Chapter 42.24 RCW) for all reimbursable items legally expended by such person on the trip or trips accompanied by the unexpended portion of such advance, if any, in the form of a personal check in favor of the city of Soap Lake, or cash in said amount, and may be accompanied by a voucher containing a request for a reimbursement to cover additional reasonable and necessary expenses which he or she incurred and which had not been anticipated. Any such additional amount shall be paid by warrant processed in the usual manner. The custodian shall make claims against the proper budgeted items for a warrant or warrants to replenish the revolving fund in the proper amounts. Expenses shall not be compensated for insofar as they might exceed any maximums prescribed by the city council by resolution. (Ord. 948 § 6, 2001).

3.72.070 Default.

Any advance, or any portion thereof, which has not been accounted for or repaid in compliance with SLMC 3.72.060, shall be deemed to be in default and shall bear interest at the rate of ten percent per year from the date of default until paid. No advance shall be made to any employee or official while he or she is delinquent in accounting for or repaying any prior advance, and to protect the city from any losses on account of advances made hereunder, the city shall have a prior lien against and a right to withhold any and all funds payable or to become payable by the city to the officer or employee up to the amount of the advance plus interest at the rate of 10 percent per year. If this delinquent account exceeds 30 days, the amount owing the city will be withheld from the employee’s next regular payroll check. (Ord. 948 § 7, 2001).

3.72.080 Additional means of payment.

This chapter and the fund created by it shall be an additional means of paying expenses of city employees or officers on city business and shall not prevent any employee or official from seeking reimbursement for reasonable and necessary actual expenses on authorized trips upon compliance with RCW 41.24.090. (Ord. 948 § 8, 2001).