Travel authorizations and expense report approvals procedures

Learn who can approve travel expenses.

The City's Travel Policy provides that the Finance Officer shall develop administrative rules to implement the adopted policies. Department Heads must authorize travel and approve trip expense reports of the employees in their Department. Department Heads may delegate this authority to any "authorized signatory" in the travelers department. An authorized signatory is any person in a job title that is identified as a "position authorized to sign contracts" according to the Finance Department records.

No person shall be allowed to approve his/her own travel expenses. A travelling employee who is an authorized signatory must have their trip expenses approved by another authorized signatory in the same department unless otherwise identified below.

If the Traveler is…then the Travel Report and trip expenses must be approved by the
An employee An authorized signatory (visit the Authorized Signatories Procurement page in CityTalk)
An authorized signatory with a direct report to another authorized signatory The authorized signatory to whom the first authorized signatory reports
An authorized signatory who is nominated by the Mayor The Mayor
An authorized signatory who is nominated and appointed by the Council Finance Officer
A Council Member or the Mayor City Clerk or Assistant City Clerk