New cell phone policy makes employees accountable
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

The Town of Amherst has approximately 100 cell phones that have been distributed to its employees, usage that racks up 28,000 minutes a month.

The IRS has recently investigated other municipalities' cell phone use and found noncompliance. To remedy its own issues, the town formed a committee to address its cell phone policy to ensure it complies with that of the IRS.

Comptroller Darlene Carroll and Building Commissioner Tom Ketchum presented the plan to the Town Board at Monday's work session.

"We are trying to conform with the IRS ruling and have a uniform policy for the town," Ketchum said, adding that the Police Department is not included.

Employees who use 200 minutes or more a month on a town cell phone will have to keep a log of their daily calls and differentiate between business and personal calls.

Carroll said the IRS policy requires that activity that is personal be paid for by that employee to the town.

Prior to this, the town did not have a policy and was paying for all minutes used, no matter the purpose.

"What we are proposing is tightening up (the policy) a bit," she said.

Carroll said the 200 minutes or more ruling would apply to 20 percent of the phone users.

The logs are the responsibility of each phone user. Carroll said that according to the IRS, if someone does not keep a log, the town has to consider all calls personal matters.

"We believe this would meet the requirements of the IRS," she said.

Those who make less than 200 calls a month aren't required to keep a log. The thinking is that they will be able to remember which calls were personal and which were not, Carroll said.

When asked why any personal calls were being made on town cell phones, she said employees aren't supposed to make them, but the town has understood that sometimes things come up, such as when an employee of the Building Department is out on the road and needs to call home.

The town pays $5 per phone a month and $1,400 for 28,000 minutes. The number of minutes recently increased from 20,000 due to the town going over its allowance, Carroll said.

The typical monthly cell phone bill for the town is $1,800-$2,000. Some of the town's cell phones log more than 1,000 minutes a month, Carroll said.

"This policy won't generate significant savings, but it will put us in compliance with the IRS," she said.

By making the change, the town might be able to go back to 20,000 minutes a month, a $400 savings.

Town Board members offered some suggestions, including Dr. Barry Weinstein, who said employees should be given the option of a $5 per month stipend to return the town cell phone and use that toward their personal cell phone bill.

Ketchum said he didn't believe employees would like that deal.

Council Members Mark Manna and Guy Marlette questioned if the employees were making the best use of their time by logging their calls.

The suggestion of waiting for the bill was opposed by Carroll, who said employees with hundreds, or thousands, of minutes, wouldn't remember which numbers were called for personal and which for business purposes. Also, that idea doesn't meet IRS requirements.

Carroll said she expects the policy that was presented to be implemented, possibly with minor changes.