Lombard trustee questions village credit card spending

Purchases made with village credit cards by two members of the Lombard Police Department are drawing criticism from a village trustee.

The purchases in question include $231 worth of coffee, $404 worth of drinks and ice for officers during this spring's Lilac Parade, and a $1,683 flat-screen TV and projector.

The village board's finance committee conducted the study of credit card expenses by examining purchases made in May by three employees selected at random, officials said.

“I don't have any problems with using the credit cards for a legitimate purpose,” said Trustee Zachary Wilson, who serves as chairman of the village's finance committee. “What a legitimate purpose is, that apparently is different from what I think and what everyone else thinks. I don't think that buying coffee for the police department is a legitimate purpose (for spending taxpayer dollars).”

But the police and fire officials whose credit card spending was analyzed deputy police chiefs Dane Cuny and Pat Rollins and soon-to-be Fire Chief Mike Torrence said they follow village policy for all credit card purchases and they needed the items Wilson is questioning.

“The village has strict policies,” Rollins said. “It (the credit card) is used in accordance with the purchasing policies of the village.”

Spending on village credit cards is regulated by the village's purchasing manual, Finance Director Tim Sexton said. The cards technically are called procurement or purchasing cards, meaning they must be paid in full every month, but they otherwise function the same as credit cards.

The purchasing manual prohibits the 18 employees who hold village credit cards from using them for cash advances, jewelry, liquor, fuel or personal items.

Cuny said using the credit cards saves the village money by allowing employees to make purchases online and skip the lengthy process of starting an account with a company, making a purchase order, and paying via invoice. It also helps when the police department needs something immediately, he said.

“We have over 110 employees and a 24-7 operation, we need to purchase a lot of items,” Cuny said. “It's so carefully scrutinized that there would be little chance for anyone to be extravagant, particularly in these tough economic times.”

Wilson said he trusts staff members are following policy for credit card purchases, but he is beginning to think the policy needs changes.

“I don't believe that any of our staff are cheating the system or stealing the money,” Wilson said. “I believe we have a culture in all forms of government that they just take money and spend it like it's their own.”

“I got into politics so we would quit spending money and we're not,” Wilson said.

“The next step is to evaluate what our current policies are and make recommendations to change the policies that are allowing this culture to remain.”