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TO: Board of 'DATE: January 6, 1983 FELE:. County commissioners FROM Cary M. -Brandenburg County Attorney SUBJECT: Request of Freda Wright, County Clerk to Clarify Expenditures of County Funds for Educational and Incidental Expenses for Employees of the County to Attend-Naxiotis Seminars and Schools. REFERENCES: Attached to this memorandum you will find a letter from Freda Wright requesting the County.Commission to establish a policy clarifying the expenditure of County funds for employees to attend seminars and other educational opportunities. Public funds may not be expended unless the expenditure promotes a public purpose.. With respect to educational programs for public employees, the primary test to be applied is whether the training program is one which will improve the efficiency of the employee to ]�erfoam tasks that will benefit the public in general. The train_ - Ing which is meant to train an employee for basic qualifications necessary for the performance of their duties cannot be paid. However, training specifically designed to improve the efficiency of an employee who is already qualified for the position he or she currently holds and which training is necessary to carry out responsibilities of the County may be paid at public expense. To determine which category a specific educational opportunity falls within, one must examine the content of the program and the minimum qualifications necessary under the employee's job descrip- tion. If..the employee is Lequired to have a degree of knowledge offered in the course to obtain the position initially under the job description, then the course may not be paid for out of the public treasury. If, on the other hand, the course is designed to improve efficiency of an employee who is already otherwi,e quali- f.ied to hold the position he or she, currently has, •tasen -1-he conuse. may be paid for if its content is deemed worthwhil._to. ji and attendance would improve efficiency and thus very ��. Cc)"jitt�y purpose. What t s p�ubl i c; type of courses serve a public purpose mll;,t be looked.at on a case by case basis by the County Administrator or the County Commission. With respect to travel expenses, Florida.Statutes 5112.061 (3) a, b provides for reimbursement of travel for an official business trip together with reimbursement for expenses necessarily incurred. The State Statute provides maximum amounts of reimbursement. The employee seeking reimbursement must substantiate the expenses and that the expenses were necessary in order to fulfill this assign- ment which caused the travel. Consequently, the identity of the employee and the employee's scope of duties under his or her posi.- tion and the purpose of the travel must be reviewed to determine eligibility for reimbursement. In addition to the general law referenced above, Indian River County has'a special act adopted in 1963 (Special Act Chapter 63-1436 Section 1) which provides "Members and employees of the Board of County Commissioners, when traveling outside the boundaries of Indian River County, whether within or without the state, on official County business duly authorized in open meeting, shall be allowed the same mileage and the same 15 a BOOK 2 PA"F 5183 JAS 1 9P 1983