Supervisors approve new meal reimbursement rates

WASHINGTON — A week after Washington County Supervisors said employee meal reimbursements were insufficient given inflation, the board voted to raise the rates Tuesday morning.

Washington County employees’ previous meal allowance for breakfast, lunch and dinner was $12, $15 and $29. After Tuesday mornings unanimous vote, the new numbers are $18, $20 and $35, effective immediately.

While some board members, including Chair Bob Yoder, said the rates, “seem kind of high,” they acknowledged rising costs of food, especially at common destinations for county travel.

"The place that we go to for meetings, mostly, is Des Moines, so we’ve got to go by those prices,“ Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. said.

Supervisors said they’d heard some negative feedback about the plan since their last meeting, where it was first discussed.

"Some of the criticism I got was, ‘Breakfast is coffee and a doughnut,’“ Supervisor Stan Stoops said. ”I let them know, whether I’m at home or at a motel in Des Moines, I want breakfast.“

Stoops was the first to advocate an $18 rate for breakfast reimbursements. He said it was based on an anecdotal $16.50 meal one board member recently had in town, with room for a tip, which the county reimburses for up to 15% of a meal’s cost.

“Some employees don’t make as much as a supervisor,” he said. “I don’t want to cause a hardship for — from my decision — somebody that’s making less than I am … I know it’s high, but look what happened with inflation.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com