MoCo Board of Education Eliminates District-Funded Credit Cards

Montgomery County Board of Education met Monday night and unanimously approved upcoming changes in guidelines for work-related expenses for board members.

Part of the change includes saying goodbye to district-funded credit cards, according to Montgomery Community Media. Board members will receive a per diem allowance instead for business trips. A new guideline will also be made to determine what public events, conferences and meetings will be covered.

“I am pleased that the Board has approved these changes and has affirmed their commitment to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” said Phil Kauffman, president of the board, according to the news outlet.

The removal of the credit cards is in part due to weaknesses in the guidelines for the credit cards, Montgomery Community Media reports. There was not any evidence that credit cards were ever actually misused.

Other changes approved by the board include:

1. Per diem -- daily allowance -- for nonlocal travel.

2. Preapproval for nonlocal travel is now mandatory.

3. A list of approved events and conferences that members are able to attend has been formed.

4. Members will no longer be reimbursed for meals purchased for other people. They will only be reimbursed for their own meals that are work-related.

5. Mileage reimbursement for out-of-county travel must be preapproved.

6. Members will still receive necessary equipment for their home offices, but home office Internet will no longer be covered.

7. The board will now have a more robust process for expense approvals.

>>> Read the full story at Montgomery Community Media.