Seven departments of Riverside County government may still be using unauthorized open lines of credit two years after the Board of Supervisors established a policy requiring purchases be approved ahead of time, according to a report that will be presented to the board Tuesday.

However, some departments dispute the conclusion, saying they are in fact following the prescribed procedures contained in the relatively new policy.

"It's not necessarily an accusation that anybody is buying anything they shouldn't have bought," county spokesman Ray Smith said of the Executive Office report.

But Supervisor Bob Buster said the policy was designed to help the county maintain a tight rein on expenses at a time when revenues have been falling and county officials have been forced to curb services.

"And not getting compliance from departments for strong fiscal controls during a time of recession is alarming," Buster said.

The report states that the following departments made purchases through vendors that have historically provided county agencies lines of credit, and therefore might have violated board policy:

-- Sheriff's Department, $173,969

-- Fire Department, $72,096

-- Department of Public Social Services, $71,993

-- Transportation and Land Management Agency, $27,028

-- Community Health Agency, $20,132

-- Assessor-Clerk-Recorder's Office, $3,768

-- Executive Office, $101

The payments were made between Jan. 1 and Aug. 10, the report states.

Three of the agencies have indicated the purchases they made weren't through lines of credit, and that they complied with the requirement to fill out a purchase order, according to the report.

Roger Uminski, administrative director for the Community Health Agency, said that was the case with the purchases cited in the report that his agency made from three different vendors.

"We have purchase orders with Home Depot, Lowe's and Smart & Final ---- and that's all we have with them," Uminski said.

Likewise, Susan Loew, director of the Department of Public Social Services, said her department's transactions were made through approved purchase orders.

As for the Sheriff's Department, that agency is seeking board approval Tuesday for continued use of two widely used accounts that the report said weren't authorized.

Undersheriff Colleen Walker said one is an Altura Credit Union credit card account often tapped to book hotels for training outside the county and for emergency travel, such as to seize a wanted suspect picked up in another state.

When distant law enforcement agencies call, Walker said, they often say, "We can only hold him as long as it takes you to get here; otherwise, we are going to have to release him."

The department also is seeking board approval for an open line of credit with Home Depot.

Walker said that account is called upon to buy tools, hardware and materials when something breaks in a jail or at a patrol station and repairs must be made immediately.

"We're a 24-7 operation, and we just can't wait for the county to be open during regular business hours" to obtain approval for some purchases, she said.

Adopted on April 14, 2008, the board policy sought to put all the departments under the umbrella of one countywide credit card system and run all purchases through the Purchasing Department.

However, the policy allows for special exceptions if departments seek authorization from the board.

The executive report also states that in a half dozen departments employees are gassing up county vehicles with fuel cards that weren't issued by the Purchasing Department, something also required by the new policy.

Those agencies include the district attorney, public social services, probation, assessor, child support services and Office on Aging.

The report said compliance problems were largely a result of people misinterpreting the policy.

"Hopefully this gets everybody on the same page so that they are quite clear on what is required," Buster said.

The board is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. at the county administrative center, 4080 Lemon St., Riverside.

Call staff writer Dave Downey at 951-676-4315, ext. 2623.