Use of pCards by Council members halted

Honolulu City Council members no longer will be able to use city-issued purchase cards to pay for travel and travel-related expenses under a “precautionary” policy change announced by Council Chairman Ernie Martin this week.

Martin, in a memo to his eight colleagues Thursday about the so-called pCards, cited several reasons for the move, including “a recent attempt to compromise a Council pCard.” He said other reasons range from the volume of paperwork generated from using pCards to confusion over pCard policies and queries about delayed travel reimbursements.

Laura Figueira, Martin’s executive assistant, said there was a failed attempt to steal identification information from one Council member’s card. Figueira declined to say which Council member or how the matter was resolved.

Martin instituted pCard use for Council members and their staff for travel and travel-related expenses in November 2011 — about four months after becoming chairman, Figueira said. It was a way for Council members to secure travel and travel-related expenses without incurring debt on their personal credit cards, she said.

Six of the nine current Council members have pCards: Martin, Ikaika Anderson, Brandon Elefante, Carol Fukunaga, Joey Manahan and Trevor Ozawa. Three opted not to have them: Ann Kobayashi, Ron Menor and Kymberly Pine.

The cards will be taken away Dec. 29, but Council members will still be able to use the Council Administrative Services office pCard to pay for registration fees for conventions or meetings. Travelers, however, will have to pay for airfare and hotel rooms using their own money upfront and then seek reimbursement. They will be required to submit “intent to travel” forms in advance of any trips.

In addition, car rentals, meals and ground transportation costs will have to be covered by travelers and reimbursed after they submit receipts, travel reimbursement claims and travel reports.

Each Council member has a $20,000 annual contingency allowance to pay for business-related expenses, from which pCard purchases are now reimbursed.

Council members have also used the account to pay for gasoline and vehicle repairs as well as cellphone bills for themselves and staff members.

To see the details of the Council members’ contingency expenses, as well their travel reports, go to bit.ly/HNLCouncilexpendits.

Earlier this year Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi issued a public apology after improperly using his county-issued pCard to pay for drinks at bars, the purchase of a bicycle and surfboard, and other nonbusiness expenses.

Sstate Attorney General Douglas Chin issued a press release in April stating his agency was investigating pCard allegations against Kenoi. A spokesman for Chin’s office said Friday he could not comment further on the investigation. Another investigation into the matter by the Hawaii County Ethics Commission is reportedly on hold pending the outcome of the AG’s investigation.