Jun 14
What do you think of the use of credit cards by county employees? What do you think about the use of the cards resulting in interest costs and/or late fees?
What do you think of the use of credit cards by county employees? What do you think about the use of the cards resulting in interest costs and/or late fees?
June 15th, 2007 at 9:37 am
These days, credit cards, debit cards or purchasing cards are a necessary part of county operations. It is not a matter of convenience; they are essential to productivity and efficiency. The problem is not the cards. The problem is a lack of policies and procedures regarding their use and the enforcement of such policies and procedures. Columbus County has always been lax in the area of policies and procedures and their enforcement. Just look at the lack of sub-division and other planning ordnances, the lack of enforcement of the mobile home park rules, the rescinding of the conflict of interest rules. Again, the cards are just a symptom of a much larger root problem. By the way, late fees and interest charges (especially if only $3,000 in a $70+ million county government annual budget) are also a routine part of most large operations. The interest and late fees would not be charged if the finance department (accounts payable) would pay the bill in full and on time. That is not the responsibility of the cardholder. Sometimes A/P will hold back a $300 payment because of a missing $3 receipt. Why not pay the bill and avoid the late fees and interest. Any lost receipts or unauthorized purchases can be reimbursed by the employee or withheld from their pay.
June 15th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
i think the news reporter went fishing for a story again. what they found, if you pull the facts out and look at them, is the same thing you would see anywhere else. this is another attempt for them to exploit the tax increase the county is facing. if you subtracted all the late fees from the budget, guess what? the county still needs the tax increase. please stop trying to upset people and just deliver the news.
June 19th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I think the puchases should first be approved with a purchase order. all of the businesses I have ever worked at required prior approval for all purchases. Why should we pay for their drinks and snacks when they receive a salary the same as the other working people in the county! Make them accountable for their acctions.
June 25th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
The News Reporter clearly has favorites in its reporting. I cannot believe today’s headline story about the county attorney’s credit card. You’d think a couple hundred dollars was ten grand. Is this really headline news? So he took a course in Charleston instead of NC? Is that a crime or unethical? (No) Are you going to go through every employees credit card and interview them and make it a headline? What a joke. I am not a friend of the county attorney, I am just calling it like I see it. It is just horrendous the level of reporting at this paper. It really makes good people NOT want to run for office or take a job with the county because if for some reason Bob High decides he doesn’t like you, you better watch out! Also, who on earth would want to move here after looking at a couple of issues of the News Reporter. You make the county look dumb by the levels to which your reporters stoop.
Les and Jim, I would expect more out of you. Give us a break.
June 25th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
good point! also, what was with the story about county commissioners not approving the dss director? was that actually news? i can see the next headline, “commissioner prevatte goes to bathroom.” of course that will be followed up with an editorial about how other county commissioners should follow prevatte’s lead and go to the bathroom.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Hey anonymous. Your right, a couple of hundred is not ten grand … yet. Perhaps you are stealing from your employer and you think it’s okay.
Fowler already makes $70,000. He got an $8,000 raise after only one year on the job. His department costs the county $200,000.
When Jim Hill was the county lawyer, he only cost about $30,000 a year.
Fowler can buy his own decorations.
We really traded up.
Obviously, the letter writers on this page are lackeys for Fowler and the county.
Thanks for all that you do … whatever it is.
June 26th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
A couple of hundred is not ten grand. No, I’m not a lackey for Fowler or county. Fowler was obviously under qualified for the job of county attorney, no experience at all, but if Fowler’s performance/salary is the issue, why not say so instead of creating these silly articles about some minor charges on a credit card? Surely there are more serious issues in this county — like a couple of years ago —- buying a burnt out grocery store from Dewey Hill for $600k? And Jim Hill was our attorney then — did he recommend the county get an appraisal or otherwise justify that purchase? No, he just passed the buck onto the commissioners when asked about it. He just did what he was told. Do you think he protected the people of this county on this one?
Yeah, he was a real bargain.. And you complain about a couple of pictures on the wall? All in all, we didn’t trade up or down when it comes to the county attorney position. Truth be told, our commissioners will only hire someone who will be their servant and rubber stamp their actions. Jim Hill got tired of it. That’s the real story here, but will the News Reporter ever print it?????
June 28th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Whether or not the News Reporter went “fishing” for a story or not, the county citizens should know the types of things the county is doing to cost us the taxpayers unnecessary funds. There is absolutely no excuse for the county to have to pay late fees or interest on a credit card due to late payment. I do think, however, that it may not necessarily be the employee’s fault that these fees are being charged. When the bill goes to the county, is the county paying the bill in a timely manner. That should be what people are looking at and not blaming poor county employees (not the county attorney, but real county employees) for the late payments. Once again, no matter what is printed in the paper, we must realize just how stupid the county government in this county is. It is an embarrassment to anyone living in the borders of Columbus County.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
If these types of activites were happening in the real world/business, you can bet their butts would be out of the door. I have seen it happen. When will the county government be help accouantable for their actions? What a shame. I am afraid this county is headed down a hole and will not be able to climb out.
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 am
Most people with any authority in a business or government have some “discretionary” funds available for office decor, etc. If there is not set policy set by the county, how can you fire someone for it? Is the News Reporter trying to get the county to set a policy or get the attorney fired? You have to try and read between the lines on these “question and answer” articles. What are they really getting at? Does the News Reporter even know? Is this true reporting or sensationalism (”yellow journalism”)/fishing just to get people mad? These stories could be put together much more professionally and raise real issues with some good answers. Why don’t they interview someone at the Institute of Government and ask what other counties do about credit cards? What actually is good policy for county credit cards? That would be interesting reading make the articles much more newsworthy and credible. Don’t just throw out accusations and leave it alone. Dig a little deeper. If this county is ever going to get anywhere, we have to look beyond ourselves and hopefully the News Reporter can help with that.
July 6th, 2007 at 10:04 am
The truth of the matter is that the county attorney is in way over his head. He can’t offer any real opinions without running back to his books on county government.
The county attorney recieved an $8,000 raise his first year in office. His department costs 8 times what it cost to use Jim Hill as a contract attorney.
How’s that for progress?