Buying Booze Allowed As Glenview 'Clarifies' Credit Card Policy

GLENVIEW, IL — Trustees granted final approval Tuesday to amendments to procurement and credit card policies, allowing for the purchase of alcoholic beverages at events recognizing citizen volunteers, commission members and departing officials. The updates were intended to describe "the board's historic policy" of using village credit cards to pay for alcohol at such events, Pioneer Press reported.

A reference to Glenview's travel and training reimbursement rules within the villages credit card policy explicitly forbidding the use of village funds for alcoholic beverages was removed in the latest update.

Though alcohol is still non-reimbursable for travel and training, it will be allowed at "recognition events," according to Glenview Announcements.

Village officials said changes to credit card policies were already underway before a Pioneer Press investigation that found only 10 of 382 charges at restaurants were property documented and village-issued cards had been used to buy booze.

The board approved the amendments by a 4-1 vote at its Sept. 4 meeting, with Trustee Michael Jenny Absent. Trustee Scott Britton voted against the changes. He was again rebuffed in his efforts to remove the provision allowing taxpayer money to be spent on alcohol. Trustee Philip White previously indicated he was opposed to buying drinks for departing local officials.

Resident Kathy Cepa said she had no problem with feeding volunteers but did not want to see taxpayer dollars spent on alcohol. She pointed out most private business do not reimburse for adult beverages and questioned what kind of example the policy was setting for young people in the community.

"Let's show these kids that we can go out to eat and no tax dollars are spent on drinks," Cepa said. "We're adults. You want a drink? Pay for it. You want a steak because you did a great job? Let's all pay for it because you do do a great job."

Trustees also approved changes to procurement policies increasing the minimum amount of money that requires a competitive sealed bid and decreasing the amount of money the village manager is able to spend without approval from the village board ahead of time.

Read more from Pioneer Press

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