[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield 6-24-1991 as Ord. No. 1445. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
There is hereby established by and within the Borough of Ridgefield
a chapter setting forth policies and procedures concerning the payment of
and/or reimbursement of expenses incurred by borough officials and employees
in connection with attendance at municipal-related conventions, meetings,
seminars and other similar gatherings. This chapter shall govern payment and/or
reimbursement of such expenses by the borough unless, prior to the incurring
of any such expenses, the Mayor and Council shall, by duly adopted resolution,
approve other provisions.
This chapter shall apply to the borough's obligation to pay or
reimburse any expense or expenditure incurred by an official or employee of
the Borough of Ridgefield in connection with attending, participating in or
otherwise taking part in any convention, meeting, seminar or other similar
gathering (hereinafter "municipal gathering").
No official or employee of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be reimbursed
for any expense or expenditure in connection with attending any municipal
gathering unless, prior to the incurring of such expense or expenditure, the
attendance at or participation in the municipal gathering shall have been
approved by the full Mayor and Council.
The borough shall reimburse only proper and reasonable expenses incurred
directly by and for officials or employees of the borough. Under no circumstances
shall the borough reimburse expenses or expenditures on behalf of or as a
result of any spouse, child, guest or other person not an official or employee
of the borough.
The borough shall be obligated to reimburse only those expenses which
are reasonable in nature, as determined by the Mayor and Council, and related
to the purposes of attending or participating in the municipal gathering.
Specific limitations are as follows:
A.
Airfare. The borough shall reimburse for airfare expenses
only in instances where the place of the municipal gathering is more than
at such a distance as makes other forms of transportation impracticable, as
determined by the appropriate committee of the Mayor and Council or the full
Mayor and Council, and then only for commercial coach expenses. Under no circumstances
shall the borough reimburse expenses for first-class airfare.
B.
Car allowance. The borough shall reimburse for automobile-related
expenses where the official or employee uses his or her own automobile in
order to attend the municipal gathering and only in such circumstances where
the full Mayor and Council deems the use of a personal automobile to be reasonable
and appropriate. Said reimbursement shall be limited to automobile expenses
based on and calculated as to the miles to and from the municipal gathering
at such rate per mile as allowable by the Internal Revenue Service regulations.
C.
Meal allowance. The borough shall reimburse officials
and employees for expenditures in connection with meals for that official
or employee up to a maximum of forty dollars ($40.) per day.
D.
Accommodations. The borough shall reimburse for lodging
and accommodations at reasonable rates, to be determined by the Mayor and
Council, from the day prior to the municipal gathering through the last day
of the municipal gathering.
E.
Other expenses. The borough may reimburse other expenses
or expenditures not set forth in the categories listed above based upon whether
the same are reasonable in nature and related to and necessary for the attendance
at the municipal gathering.
The borough official or employee shall be personally responsible for
and obligated for any expense or expenditure not reimbursed by the borough
in accordance with the terms and provisions of this chapter. In no event shall
an official or employee obligate or attempt to obligate the Borough of Ridgefield
to any third party for any expense or expenditure not approved by the Mayor
and Council. By attending any municipal gathering, the official or employee
agrees that he or she shall promptly pay to any third party any proper charges
not reimbursed by the Mayor and Council.
Before incurring any expenses or expenditures in connection with attending
any municipal gathering, the official or employee shall first submit and have
approved a proper requisition form, as determined by the Chief Financial Officer,
setting forth maximum estimates of all expenditures and expenses to be reimbursed
by the borough. The amounts set forth in the requisition form shall be the
maximum amounts which the borough is obligated to reimburse.
