City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
PURPOSE: This policy is intended to provide clarity in determining what expenses are reimbursed to City Elected Officials by the City of Moreno Valley (“The City”) in order to enhance public confidence in the oversight of expenses incurred by City Elected Officials.
SCOPE: This policy applies to the members of the City of Moreno Valley City Council.
POLICY:
I. General
A. California Assembly Bill 1234 requires the adoption of reimbursement policies that specify necessary and reasonable expenses that demonstrate a substantial benefit to the City.
1. Some of these necessary and reasonable expenses that would be beneficial to the City include:
i. Discussing community concerns with regional, state and national government representatives;
ii. Participating in regional, state and national organizations whose activities affect the City;
iii. Attending educational seminars designed to improve the skills and information levels of officials; and
iv. Promoting public service and morale by recognizing such service.
B. This policy establishes business expense guidelines for members of the City Council su bject to the Ralph M. Brown Act and California Constitution provisions governing open meetings, including the City Council, pursuant to the requirements of AB 1234.
C. This policy specifies the kinds of activities that will be reimbursable for expenses incurred in the performance of the official duties of the City Council.
1. The City will pay for legitimate and reasonable travel -related business expenses, including transportation, lodging, registration fees, meals, and any other related expenses if they are for official business and fit within these guidelines and the guidelines established in Fiscal Policy #3.3 - Travel and Related Business Expenses.
D. This policy is not intended to address every issue, exception or contingency that may arise in the course of City travel or attendance at meetings. Accordingly, the basic standard that should always prevail is to use good judgment and economy in the use and stewardship of City funds.
E. This policy also applies to any charges made to a City credit card (Cal-Card), cash advances or other line of credit.
F. If an official wishes to seek reimbursement for something that has not been adopted by this policy, then the official has the option of seeking prior approval for such reimbursement by action of the City Council.
POLICY:
II. Travel Authorization & Expense Reporting For (“Travel Form”)
A. The “Travel Form” is a mandatory document whether or not one expects to receive a travel advance or reimbursement for business related travel expenses.
City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
1. Note: Always use the most up-to-date Travel Form located on the City’s Intranet under the “Forms Library” Tab Financial Forms.
B. Travel Form - Part I “Travel Authorization”
1. Prior to any travel, the City Official must complete Part 1 “Travel Authorization” of the Travel Form.
i. Part I of the Travel Form requires th e official to estimate the total cost of the requested travel and provide documentation of cash advances, vendor payments and credit card purchases.
ii. Equally important, Part 1 serves as documented authorization to travel on City business and helps identify when the official is traveling on behalf of the City in case of an accident or other incident.
C. Authorized Expenses
i. Expenses incurred in connection with the following types of activities generally constitute authorized expenses, as long as the other requirements of this policy are met:
a. Communicating with representatives of regional, state and national government on City adopted policy positions;
b. Attending educational seminars designed to improve the skill and information levels of officials;
c. Participating in regional, state and national organizations whose activities affect the City’s interests;
d. Recognizing service to the City (for example, thanking a longtime employee with a retirement gift or celebration of nominal value and cost);
e. Attending City and community events as a representative of the City;
f. Implementing a City-approved strategy for attracting or retaining businesses to the City, which will typically involve at least one staff member; and City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
g. Attending meetings such as those listed above for which a meeting stipend is expressly authorized under this policy.
ii. All other expenditures require prior approval by the City Council. The following expenses also require prior City Council approval:
a. International travel;
b. Expenses which exceed the annual limits established for each office holder;
c. Expenses exceeding $6,000 per trip.
d. Note: Travel with a total cost of $100 or less does not require the submission of a Travel Form.
1) A Petty Cash Request may be submitted for reimbursement and will be reimbursed per the Petty Cash Policy (Fiscal Policy #3.1).
iii. City funds, equipment, supplies (including letterhead), and staff time must only be used for authorized City business.
D. Travel Form - Part II “Expense Reporting”
1. Upon returning from a trip, a final accounting of the travel is made by completing Part II “Expense Reporting” of the Travel Form; with the completed form being submitted to the Financial and Management Services Department within 15 workdays.
2. Expense reporting is required in all cases.
i. This is mandatory whether or not the advance received is equal to the expenses incurred, whether the official is eligible for additional reimbursement, or whether money is owed to the City.
3. If the official owes the City for the unused balance of a cash advance (other than per diem), they should pay the amount due to the Financial and Management Services Department cashier and attach the receipt to their Travel Form.
4. If the City owes the official money, they may request reimbursement by forwarding the Travel Form to the Financial and Management Services Department along with a Request for Direct Pay.
i. Requests for reimbursement by direct pay will be processed on the next available Accounts Payable check run, if submitted by the normal Accounts Payable deadline, but no later than ten workdays following receipt.
ii. If the amount requested is $100 or less, a Petty Cash Request may be submitted for reimbursement.
a) Requests for reimbursement by petty cash will be reimbursed per the Petty Cash Policy (Fiscal Policy #3.1).
City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
5. A final accounting of all expenses related to the trip must be submitted and approved by the City Clerk.
i. The official must complete Part II of the Travel form and sign the report attesting to its accuracy.
ii. The official must then submit the form, including all required receipts and supporting documentation of expenses, to the City Clerk for approval.
iii. The City Clerk is responsible for ensuring that:
a) All expenses are reasonable, necessary and consistent with these guidelines.
b) Any required receipts are attached.
c) The final disposition is correct (balance due City Official or City).
d) Any amounts due to the City are fully reimbursed.
e) Final accounting of all expenses related to the trip is submitted to the Financial and Management Services Department within fifteen workdays following the officials completed travel.
f) The City Clerk will additionally agendize the entire travel form, inclu ding but not limited to, all of the documentation (receipts, hotel folio, airline ticket, etc) to substantiate each of the travel expenses listed on the report.
The agenda will include any travel forms received by an official in the prior month and finalized as described in this section and in section V B 5 below.
E. Unauthorized Expenses
1. Examples of personal expenses that the City will not reimburse include, but are not limited to:
i. The personal portion of any trip;
ii. Political or charitable contributions or events;
iii. Family expenses, including partners’ expenses when accompanying official o n agency-related business, as well as children or pet-related expenses;
iv. Entertainment expenses, including theater, movies (either in-room or at the theater), sporting events (including gym, massage and/or golf related expenses), or other cultural events;
v. Non-mileage personal automobile expenses, including repairs, traffic citations, insurance or gasoline; and
vi. Personal losses incurred while on City business.
City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
2. No reimbursement shall be made for personal expenses not provided by this policy or the approved City administrative travel policy. (Fiscal Policy #3.3)
3. Any questions regarding the propriety of a particular type of expense should be resolved by the City Council before the expense is incurred.
F. Cash Advance Policy
1. On occasion, it may be necessary for an official to request a cash advance to cover anticipated expenses while traveling or doing business on the City’s behalf.
i. Such request for an advance should be submitted to the Finance Department no later than 7 working days prior to the need for the advance with the following information:
a) The purpose of the expenditure(s);
b) The benefits of such expenditure to the residents of the City;
c) The anticipated amount of the expenditure(s) (for example: hotel rates, meal costs and transportation expenses); and
d) The dates of the expenditure(s).
2. Any unused advance must be returned to the City treasury within two business days of the official’s return, along with an expense report and receipts documenting how the advance was used in compliance with this expense policy.
3. In the event the Finance Department is uncertain as to whether a request complies with this policy, such individual must seek resolution from the City Council.
G. Credit Card Use Policy
1. The City does not issue credit cards to individual office holders but does have an agency credit card for selected City expenses.
2. City office holders may use the City credit card for such purposes as airline tickets and hotel reservations by following the same procedures as for cash advances.
3. City credit cards may not be used for personal or other non-City expenses, even if the official subsequently reimburses the City.
4. A final accounting of all expenses related to the trip must be submitted in accordance with the approved City administrative travel policy. (Fiscal Policy #3.3)
III. Travel
A. The City will pay for legitimate and reasonable travel -related business expenses, including transportation, lodging, registration fees, meals, and any other related expenses if they are for official business and fit within these guidelines and those established in Fiscal Policy #3.3.
1. This policy is designed to provide guidelines specific to Elected Officials; please refer to Fiscal Policy #3.3 - Travel and Related Business Expenses for further information regarding additional City-wide guidelines for business travel.
City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
B. Transportation
1. The most economical mode and class of transportation reasonably consistent with scheduling needs and cargo space requirements must be used, using the most direct and time -efficient route.
i. Government and group rates must be used when available.
2. Airfare – Airfares that are equal to or less than those available through the Enhanced Local Government Airfare Program offered through the League of California Cities (www.cacities.org/travel), California State Association of Counties ( http://www.counties.org/discount-travel-program) and State of California are presumed to be the most economical and reasonable for purposes of reimbursement under this policy.
3. Automobile – The reimbursed mileage rate for use of a private vehicle for City travel will be at the current Standard Federal Mileage Rate set by the IRS. (54.5 Cents per mile as of Jan. 1, 2018).
i. These rates are designed to compensate the driver for gasoline, insurance, maintenance, and other expenses associated with operating the vehicle. ii. This amount does not include bridge and road tolls, which are also reimbursable. iii. The Internal Revenue Service rates will not be paid for rental vehicles; only receipted fuel expenses will be reimbursed.
4. Car Rental – Rental rates that are equal or less than those available through the State of California’s website ( http://www.caltravelstore.com/) shall be considered the most economical and reasonable for purposes of reimbursement under this policy.
5. Taxis/Shuttles/Ride Share Services – Taxis, shuttles or ride sharing fares may be reimbursed, including up to a 15 percent gratuity per fare, when the cost of such fares is equal or less than the cost of car rentals, gasoline and parking combined, or when such transportation is necessary for time-efficiency.
6. Reasonable incidental travel costs such as parking, tips, gratuities, etc. shall be reimbursed.
7. Expenses for which City officials receive reimbursement from another agency are neither reimbursable nor reportable through the City.
C. Lodging
1. Lodging expenses will be reimbursed or paid for when travel on official City business reasonably requires an overnight stay.
i. Conferences/Meetings – If such lodging is in connection with a conference, lodging expenses shall not exceed the group rate published by the conference sponsor for the meeting in question if such rates are available at the time of booking. If the group rate is not available, see next section.
ii. Other Lodging – Travelers must request government rates, when available. Lodging rates that are equal or less to government rates are presumed to be reasonable and hence reimbursable for purposes of this policy.
City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
iii. In the event that government rates are not available at a given time or in a given area, lodging rates that do not exceed the IRS per diem rates for a given area are presumed reasonable and hence reimbursable, when available.
D. Meals
1. This policy recognizes that legislative and other regional, state and federal agency business is frequently conducted over meals; sharing a meal with regional, state and federal officials is frequently the best opportunity for a more extensive, focused and uninterrupted communication about the City’s policy concerns.
2. Each meal expenditure must comply with the limits and reporting requirements of local, state and federal law.
3. Reimbursable meal expenses and associated gratuities will not exceed the following rates:
a. Breakfast: $15.71
b. Lunch: $23.56
c. Dinner: $44.50
4. Such amounts will be annually adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living in accordance with statistics published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, all urban consumers for the Southern California area. (The annual adjustment will be based on this area whether travel is within the area or not.)
5. The City will not pay for alcohol/personal bar expenses.
IV. Communications
A. Telephone/Fax/Cellular
1. Officials will be reimbursed for actual telephone and fax expenses incurred on City business.
i. Telephone bills should identify which calls were made on City business.
2. For cellular calls when the official has a particular number of minutes included in the official’s plan, the official can identify the percentage of calls made on public business.
B. Internet
1. Officials will be reimbursed for reasonable Internet access connection and/or usage fees away from home, if Internet access is necessary for City-related business.
V. Expense Reporting Requirements
A. Officials must submit their expense reports within 15 workdays of an expense being incurred, accompanied by receipts documenting each expense.
1. Inability to provide such documentation in a timely fashion may result in the expense being borne by the official.
2. All expenses are subject to verification that they comply with this policy.
City of Moreno Valley Fiscal
Policy # 3.06
TRAVEL AND RELATED BUSINESS EXPENSES (ELECTED OFFICIALS) Approved by: City Council
July 11, 2006
Revised: September 5, 2023
B. Reports to Legislative Bodies
1. At the following meeting of the City Council, each official shall briefly report on meetings attended at City expense.
2. The report may be either a written or oral report. The report should be agendized to comply with Brown Act requirements.
3. The report need not disclose details of confidential conversations, but shall disclose the date and place of the meeting and its general subject matter.
4. If multiple officials attended the same event, a joint report may be made.
5. The City Clerk will additionally agendize the entire travel form, including but not limited to, all of the documentation (receipts, hotel folio, airline ticket, etc) to substantiate each of the travel expenses listed on the report. The agenda will include any travel forms rec eived by an official in the prior month and finalized as described in section II D above.
C. Compliance With Laws
1. City officials should keep in mind that some expenditures may be subject to reporting under the Political Reform Act and other laws.
i. For example, meals are considered “gifts” to legislators that must be reported by them if the total value of gifts given from the City exceeds $50 in a year; there also is an annual gift limit.
2. All agency expenditures are public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act.
D. Violation of this Policy
1. Use of public resources or falsifying expense reports in violation of this policy may result in any or all of the following:
i. Loss of reimbursement privileges;
ii. A demand for restitution to the City;
iii. The City reporting expenses as income to the elected official to state and federal tax authorities;
iv. Civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day and three times the value of the resources used pursuant to state law; and
v. Prosecution for misuse of public resources.