Primary Department: County Administration
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Jesse Dickerman, Interim County Administrator
Secondary Department: Management and Budget
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Daniel Ramos, Executive Director
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Discussion Item
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for discussion and possible action on proposed updates to the Harris County Travel, Training, and Business Meeting Policy.
end
Background and Discussion:
On April 21, 2025, Commissioners Court directed the Office of County Administration (OCA) to “work with relevant departments and Court offices to update the Harris County Travel and Business Meeting policy, including the international and domestic travel policy, and return to the 5/8/2025 Commissioners Court.”
Harris County’s Travel and Business Meeting Policy was last updated in 2017. OCA coordinated with the Harris County Auditor’s Office, the Office of Management and Budget, the Harris County Attorney’s Office, and all Court offices to compile requested updates to improve the administrative process for approvals, ensure consistency with federal policy, and provide additional clarifications within the policy as needed.
Expected Impact:
If approved, the Harris County Travel, Training, and Business Meeting Policy will include updated rates for per diem reimbursements, meal and incidental expenditure (M&IE) reimbursements, and business meeting and training expense reimbursement. The suggested rates are based on the United States General Services Administration (GSA)’s established per diem rates using cities in Texas as a benchmark to provide average rates.
Alternative Options:
Commissioners Court could choose not to update the Travel and Business Meeting Policy and existing approval processes and reimbursement rates would remain as they were set in 2017.
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
04/21/2025 |
4 |
Direction to update the Travel, Training, and Business Meeting Policy |
|
07/25/2017 |
|
Approval of the 2017 Travel, Training, and Business Meeting Policy |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
N/A |
|
|
|
Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
Existing Budget |
|
|
|
|
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
|
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
|
Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
|
|
Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: 5/8/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 5/8/2025
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department:
Jesse Dickerman, Interim County Administrator, Office of County Administration
Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, Office of Management and Budget
Mike Post, Harris County Auditor
Attachments (if applicable):
Draft 2025 Harris County Travel, Training, and Business Meeting Policy for discussion