County adopts monthly expense reporting

By DAMON LAWRENCE

rclawrence@bellsouth.net

County employees must now submit claims for travel expenses within 30 days or lose the opportunity to get reimbursed.

The mandate comes after the Roane County Commission voted unanimously to amend the county’s policy last week.

“Claims for reimbursement of travel expenses submitted after 30 days of the date of completion of the travel will not be paid,” the resolution states.

Commissioners James Harmon and James Brummett, members of the county’s budget committee, announced their support for the resolution moments before the vote.

“The budget committee recommends adoption,” Harmon said.

“This would bring us more in line with state guidelines and should clear up any gray areas that may or may not have existed,” Brummett said.

Commission Chairman Troy Beets said the policy also applies to elected officials.

“That is a countywide policy,” Beets said. “Everybody is under that umbrella.”

During the campaign for the Aug. 7 county election, it became well known that Property Assessor Teresa Kirkham had a practice of turning in an expense report once a year.

Kirkham said it was convenient for her to do it that way.

Her opponent, Steven Robinette, questioned that practice throughout the campaign and also filed complaints with the county’s ethics committee.

The committee is still dealing with some details of his complaints.