LAKE ELSINORE: Council ripping up its credit cards

LAKE ELSINORE ---- Lake Elsinore is ripping up its city-issued credit cards.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the city's policy regarding city credit cards, meals, meetings and travel expenses.

The new policy deletes any reference to city-issued credit cards, according to a copy of the policy provided to The Californian by Lake Elsinore's city attorney.

Instead of credit cards, each of the council members will be given a finite amount of money each day to pay for expenses during city business trips. A council member will need to provide receipts for any city-related expenses that exceed that per diem, an amount linked with the U.S. government's listed per diem rates.

The action by the council comes in the wake of an investigation in the city of Canyon Lake, where a council member is being investigated on suspicion of using his city-issued card for personal expenses. That Canyon Lake council member, Frank Kessler, has said he accidentally used his city-issued card instead of his personal card.Police officials have said that investigation is ongoing.