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ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 3, 2009 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-m <br /> SUBJECT: Update Travel Policy Meal Per Diem Reimbursement Rates <br /> DEPARTMENT: Finance PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Travel Policy (with Proposed Revisions <br /> Shown) Gary Humphreys 245-2453 <br /> Exhibit A— GSA Per Diem Example <br /> PURPOSE: To amend the travel policy to incorporate a process for maintaining a fair and <br /> equitable per diem reimbursement rate for meals while traveling on County business. <br /> BACKGROUND: The current travel policy was adopted by the Board of County <br /> Commissioners in March 1997 and the amounts for meal reimbursement have not been updated <br /> since that time. The authorized per diem rate for meals is $5 for breakfast, $8 for lunch and $20 <br /> for dinner totaling $33 per day including taxes and tip. <br /> The current travel policy includes a method for maintaining a fair and equitable rate of mileage <br /> reimbursement for the use of personal vehicles on county business by allowing reimbursement <br /> to be made using the prevailing Internal Revenue Service business mileage rate. Staff <br /> proposes the travel policy be updated to provide a similar method for maintaining the meal per <br /> diem rates at a fair and equitable level. The Internal Revenue Service provides a table of per <br /> diem rates based on travel destination. Locations are assigned to one of six tiers of rates <br /> ranging from $36 to $61 per day for meals only. These rates are maintained by the General <br /> Services Administration (GSA) and updated at least annually. <br /> The use of the GSA tables as a method to maintain updated rates was discussed with <br /> department directors to obtain their input. It was the consensus of the group to adopt tier two of <br /> the GSA rates for all in state travel and to use the GSA rate for the actual location of travel for <br /> out of state travel. This would maintain simplicity for the majority of trips and still allow for fair <br /> reimbursement at out of state locations which are generally at a higher cost. <br /> Therefore staff proposes the County adopt the second tier of GSA rates which are currently $8 <br /> for breakfast, $12 for lunch, and $21 for dinner totaling $41 per day for meals (including taxes <br /> and tip) for in state travel and the GSA rate based on the actual primary destination of travel be <br /> used for out of state travel. The rates will be updated whenever the GSA rates are modified. A <br />