03 Staff Report.Elected Official Travel and Expense Policy
PREPARED BY: Holly Zappala
Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Human Resources Director, and
Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 4/6/2021 ITEM NO: 3
DATE: March 26, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt the Proposed Town Council Policy: Travel and Expense Policy for
Elected Town Officials as Recommended by the Council Policy Committee
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the proposed Town Council Policy: Travel and Expense Policy for Elected Town Officials
as recommended by the Council Policy Committee.
BACKGROUND:
In early 2020, Town staff revised the Employee Travel and Expense Administrative Procedure in
order to clarify and simplify travel and reimbursement guidelines for Town employees. The
revised Employee Procedure can be viewed as Attachment 1 to this report.
Following work on the employee guidelines, staff reviewed the Travel and Expense Policy for
Town Council members. The current Policy was approved in 2011 and can be found as
Attachment 2 to this report.
Similar clarifications to the revised employee procedures may be applicable to the proposed
update to the Council Policy. Staff drafted a potential revised Elected Official Travel and
Expense Policy which may be found as Attachment 3 to this report. Elected officials are legally
considered employees of the Town, so efforts were made to align the guidelines for the two.
On March 23, 2021, the Council Policy Committee reviewed the proposed Policy and
unanimously agreed to forward a recommendation to the Town Council to approve the
proposed Travel and Expense Policy for Elected Officials.
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: Travel and Expense Policy for Elected Officials DATE: April 20, 2021
DISCUSSION:
The proposed update to the draft Elected Official Travel and Expense Policy is aimed at
clarifying and streamlining travel and expense guidelines for the Town Mayor, Vice Mayor, and
Council Members. Highlights of the proposed changes are as follows:
1. Removed the application to Town Board, Commission, and Committee members from
the Policy and incorporated them into the Employee Travel and Expense Procedure
instead. The revised draft Policy applies to elected officials only.
2. Simplified food and beverage reimbursements for overnight travel to be paid via a per
diem allowance at the amount specified by the US General Services Administration as
opposed to reimbursement for actual food and beverage expenses. This change saves
staff time and streamlines the process.
3. Added instructions for mileage reimbursements. Prior to 2019, the Town Council
received a monthly auto allowance which generally covered local mileage costs. Prior to
2019, Council Members were eligible to receive reimbursement for authorized travel in
a personal vehicle in excess of a one-way 50-mile radius of Los Gatos. Effective January
1, 2019, Council Members received a salary increase that absorbed the monthly auto
allowance. Currently, Council Members are eligible for mileage reimbursements for all
business-related travel using a personal vehicle, the same as any Town employee.
4. Added further clarification to transportation options, including rental vehicles,
consistent with employee travel procedures.
5. Added examples of miscellaneous expenses that are eligible for reimbursement.
6. Specified who should review and approve mileage reimbursements or claims for
reimbursement. Those submitted by Council Members must be signed by the Mayor
and the Town Manager. Reimbursements for the Mayor must be signed by the Town
Manager and Finance Director.
At times, Council Members may want to attend conferences or other events associated with
the other agencies for which they serve as a Board member as appointed by the Town Council
(e.g., Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority). For those activities, the non-Town agency would
be responsible for paying those expenses as they are related to its function. The Town will not
cover such expenses for other agencies.
PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: Travel and Expense Policy for Elected Officials DATE: April 20, 2021
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the Council approve the recommendation of the Council Policy Committee
to approve the proposed Travel and Expense Policy for Elected Town Officials.
COORDINATION:
This report was coordinated with the Town Manager’s Office, Town Attorney, Finance
Department, and Human Resources Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The proposed changes to the policy should not generate a significant fiscal impact, but should
make the guidelines clearer and more streamlined.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. Travel and Expense Procedure for Town Employees
2. 2011 Town Council and Board Member Expense Reimbursement Policy
3. Draft Elected Official Travel and Expense Policy