Davis County employees and vendors could see significant changes next year after commissioners discussed raising the county's small-purchase limit threefold, standardizing mileage reimbursement and overhauling family leave rules at a July 28 work session in Farmington.

Contract and Grant Administrator Jordan Tilley proposed bumping the micro-purchase threshold from $5,000 to $15,000 per single order, according to approved meeting minutes, meaning departments could buy goods and services up to that amount without soliciting competitive bids. Tilley noted the proposed $150,000 upper threshold for formal procurement still falls well below the $350,000 national standard.

The mid-tier range requiring three written quotes would expand to cover purchases between $15,000 and $150,000. Anything above $150,000 would require departments to meet with Legal and purchasing staff to determine the best procurement route.

Commissioner Lorene Kamalu said the threshold updates address uniform guidance and federal rule changes recently covered at a National Association of Counties conference.

Mileage and cell phones

County Controller Scott Parke proposed a flat mileage reimbursement of 46.5 cents per mile for all county employees, regardless of whether a county fleet vehicle is available. The rate averages the IRS moving rate (20.5 cents) and the full IRS rate (72.5 cents) and would be recalculated each January.

Parke said the county would "spend dollars to save pennies" trying to track fleet vehicle availability to enforce a two-tier rate.

On cell phones, Parke proposed replacing tiered allowances of $30 and $60 per month with a single $40 flat rate for fewer than 10 employees who meet strict IRS criteria. All existing allowances would roll into base pay for 2027.

Fund balance and cost allocation

Parke recommended establishing a General Fund balance reserve of two to four months of operating expenditures, estimated at $16 million to $32 million. The range would serve as an early warning in the county's five-year projections.

Kamalu said the county's budget became unbalanced due to an increased cost of living and a decrease in the fund balance, not governmental overspending. She called it a point "widely misunderstood by the public and even some Commission candidates."

A separate proposal to allocate General Fund overhead costs to departments based on measurable metrics drew pushback. Commissioner Bob Stevenson said he was uncomfortable with the proposition and asked for a meeting with the Controller, HR and Legal before moving forward. Chief Deputy Civil Attorney Neal Geddes warned the approach might violate statutory requirements, and Health Director Brian Hatch said flat allocations can exceed indirect cost caps on grants, cutting services.

FMLA and leave changes

HR Director Shawn Choate proposed switching the county's FMLA time calculation from a forward-counting calendar year to a 12-month rolling look-back. Under the old system, Choate explained, an employee could take up to 12 weeks at the end of one year and another 12 weeks at the start of the next, resulting in up to five months of continuous absence.

Choate also proposed adding domestic partners to FMLA eligibility and allowing Administrative Officers to offer 40 hours of incentive vacation to new hires without Commission approval, aimed at attracting candidates with high accruals at their current jobs.

Under the proposed FMLA policy, employees on leave would exhaust sick time but could keep up to 40 hours of vacation and 24 hours of personal preference time, so workers recovering from serious health conditions aren't left with zero paid time off for the holidays.

Hatch raised concerns that managing unbillable leave in grant-funded departments creates major financial problems, since those departments rely on contract reimbursements rather than tax dollars.

What's next

None of the proposals were voted on at the July 28 work session. Commissioner John Crofts was absent. The commission's Aug. 18 meetings were cancelled, according to the Utah Public Notice Website, and the next meeting date had not been posted as of Aug. 15. Residents can check daviscountyutah.gov for scheduling updates.