Yazoo County leaders appeared hesitant to allow Sheriff Jeremy McCoy to acquire a credit card for his department. His request was tabled during last week’s Yazoo County Board of Supervisors meeting.
“Every other sheriff in the state of Mississippi has a credit card,” McCoy said. “It works for my benefit because it keeps us out of the auditor’s office. What we have been doing for 50 years…I just want to be transparent.”
McCoy told the county leaders he does not feel comfortable handling large amounts of cash when he travels for training and conferences. He said a credit card would eliminate that concern.
“It’s dangerous to be going out there with all that cash,” McCoy said. “I am even using my own personal money sometimes. It is in the state statute that we can have it with the board’s discretion.”
McCoy said, when traveling, he is provided with a check from County Administrator Donna Kraft.
“I have to go cash that check,” McCoy said. “Then I bring the money back that we don’t spend. Or if I don’t have enough, and I have to spend my own money, I bring back receipts.”
“We do the same thing,” replied Supervisor Joseph Thomas Jr.
“But it looks bad on my end, and I will not be swiping my own card,” McCoy said. “Everybody else has a travel card that they can use to pay for their rooms. We are still using our personal cards.”
The supervisors said they often use their own personal credit cards during travel.
Kraft said proper planning would eliminate that issue when it comes to checking into hotel rooms.
“If they notify me in enough time that they are needing hotel accommodations, that is not a big deal as long as the hotel gets the check at least 20 days before check in,” Kraft said. “When they wait until the last minute, then it creates a situation. I always send the check, and the rooms are paid by check.”
“Last minute stuff happens all the time,” McCoy replied. “All I am trying to do is simplify the process. If I have a credit card, I bring you the statement at the end of the month, and that would be it.”
Board Attorney Jay Barbour did locate the statute that McCoy was referring to, which states that “supervisors may acquire credit cards that may be used by the sheriff and deputies to pay expenses accrued by them when traveling in or out of state for the performance of their official duties.”
“The chancery clerk or purchasing clerk may keep complete records of everything with the credit card,” Barbour continued. “The sheriff must furnish receipts each month.”
Thomas expressed reservations with a credit card to be available within the sheriff’s department, adding that it could possibly throw caution to the wind when it came to expenses.
“Is there a limit within your budget,” Thomas asked. “What happens if the board doesn’t approve certain travel?”
“I am just going to go ahead and put it out there,” added Supervisor Lee Moore. “Let’s just say we don’t want anybody going to Florida. We say that you can’t go. Then you run a card for it. Next thing you know, a month later, we get a bill for a room in Florida.”
“As long as it is budgeted, there’s really not an approval process,” McCoy replied. “As long as we have got it within our budget, then we can go to training.
McCoy said travel approval is needed for department heads but not for an elected office.
“You have to travel, to network and get resources,” McCoy said. “A lot of times, I have been doing it out of my own pocket. There is a better way to handle this whole process.”
Kraft said travel expenses must be approved by the county board so that they can be reflected in the minutes.
“Let’s just say that you spend your (travel) budget in the first month,” Thomas said. “Is the credit card null for the rest of the year?”
“The credit card would be active, but you might would have to come before the board to move a line item to cover it,” McCoy said. “That is why I increased my travel budget this year. What I have been having is only $3,000, and that only covers me.”
“He has budgeted only so much for travel, and he is way over it right now,” added Kraft.
Barbour said the state statute also if a credit card purchase is made that the county board does not deem lawful, then the county board is not required to approve its charge payment.
“It then becomes a liability on whoever made the purchase,” Barbour said.
“That is what I am scared of,” Thomas said. “We wouldn’t know what could be accrued. What if you went over your budget? You are already over your budget now. Who would be responsible for the payment?”
The county board tabled the matter to place it under advisement.
