WCC responses to first batch of credit card questions in full

These are the W’bool City Council responses to my first batch of questions about the use of a corporate credit card by one of its senior managers. That story is here.

Is the WCC aware of the use of a corporate credit card for such expenditure and is this type of expenditure the norm for all WCC managers who use corporate credit cards?

No.

How is this spending justified to ratepayers?

Each authorized holder of a corporate credit card will perform different roles requiring different stakeholders, different working hours and locations, and therefore different costs of doing business.   Some roles may require extensive engagement with business and industry, volunteers, residents, regional engagement and statewide engagement, other roles may not. The use of credit cards as a payment mechanism can be of considerable benefit to the Council, ratepayers and the various individuals and organisations that supply goods and services. The benefits are in the form of efficient procurement and reduced administration costs.

Does Mr McMahon’s manager, Director City Growth Andrew Paton, sign off on Mr McMahon’s monthly credit card expenditure? If Mr Paton does not give this approval, who does?

The line manager of the authorised holder of the corporate credit card provides approval.

Several transactions have been deleted from the statements released because they were deemed irrelevant, ie. they were repaid. Who has repaid these funds and for what reason? How much has been repaid since Mr McMahon received a corporate credit card?

A Corporate Credit Card Policy* exists to ensure relevant internal controls are in place. These apply to all authorised credit card holders.

Does Mr McMahon still have access to a corporate credit card? 

Yes.

* I asked for a copy of this credit card policy and the council’s travel policy. Neither are available to the public.