PIERRE - South Dakota state government employees might receive higher reimbursements for meals and mileage while on official travel next year.
The state Board of Finance discussed possible increases Tuesday.
Jason Dilges, state commissioner of finance and management, said he would bring a formal proposal to the board's meeting in mid-January.
Dilges said the most responsible move would be to make the increases effective July 1.
That would allow for increases to be considered as part of the Legislature's budgeting process and provide time for the Legislature's rules review committee to consider the plan, he said.
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The board would need to formally propose rules changes and hold a public hearing before adopting any changes.
"I think it's definitely time to do something," Ryan Brunner said. He is a member of the current staff in the state school and public lands office and was elected by South Dakota voters last month as the office's commissioner starting in 2015.
In-state meals currently are reimbursed at rates of $5 breakfast, $9 lunch and $12 dinner for a total of $26 per day.
The draft presented to the board Tuesday used $6 breakfast $11 lunch and $15 dinner.
Mileage currently is 37 cents per mile for a private vehicle if there isn't a state fleet vehicle available. If there is a state vehicle but the employee uses a private vehicle, the rate is 20 cents per mile.
Those would be adjusted to 42 cents and 23 cents under the draft.
Meals were last changed in 2005, and inflation has been 26.3 percent since then, according to Terwilliger. The draft amounts would be 23.1 percent higher in total, he said.
Mileage reimbursement increased in 2008. Since then inflation has been 15.1 percent, Terwilliger said. The draft rates would be 15 and 13.5 percent higher, he said.
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"It's in line with other states. It's in line with inflation. I don't think any of these numbers are extravagant on their face," Tony Venhuizen, the governor's chief of staff, said.
He is the board's chairman. He directed Dilges to prepare a proposal.
The draft showed the in-state meal increases would cost a total of $662,824 more, while the mileage increases would cost $59,171 more at the 42-cent rate and $76,752 more at the 23-cent rate.
Highway Patrol officers would receive a small increase to $14 per day from the current $12 under the draft as presented Tuesday. That would cost an estimated additional $67,020.
Out-of-state meals and lodging rates also would be adjusted upward. The out-of-state meals increase would take an additional $249,712.
There wasn't an estimate presented for the out-of-state lodging.
In-state lodging rates were increased in the past year to $70 during the summer months and $55 during the rest of the year.
