The extent of purchasing-card use by the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated government sparked unusually intense debate Wednesday among members of the task force working on policies related to the merger.
At an early morning meeting of the task force Finance Committee, Wes Clarke from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government turned in a set of proposed financial policies to be recommended for adoption. Clarke said he worked with city, county and regional commission staff for months and looked at policies of similar governments and good-government models. He merged current Macon and Bibb policies and reconciled contradictions, but the results weren’t “radically different” from either current policy, he said.
“I suppose the use of purchasing cards is one example of one thing we had a difference of opinion on, or a difference in policy,” Clarke said.
Committee Chairwoman Pearlie Toliver said card use and rules involved a “great deal of debate” while the policies were being written.
Bibb County is more wary than the city of using purchasing cards frequently, but many governments are finding them convenient without substantial misuse, he said.
via Macon-Bibb merger group argues financial details | Politics | Macon.com.
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