Commissioners defer vote on adding pre‑holiday county holidays after budget concerns

Commissioner Shaw moved to amend the county employee handbook to add Dec. 26, 2025 as a county holiday; Commissioner Rekler later offered an amendment to add Wednesday, Nov. 26 and Wednesday, Dec. 24 as additional holidays. The court debated the amendment’s cost and operational effects before agreeing to postpone consideration until Oct. 27.

Miss Williams, the county auditor, told the court that the county’s holiday leave policy (referenced as section 8.04 of the new handbook) requires double time for full‑time 24/7 employees and some other categories; she said she needed time to calculate exact budget impacts. Several commissioners argued the county’s general fund had little flexibility two weeks into the fiscal year and asked staff to model the cost of additional holidays, including overtime demands for deputies, jailers and juvenile detention staff.

Judge Parrish and others emphasized that the motion was not a rejection of employee time off but a request for fiscal clarity; the court voted to postpone unanimously. Commissioners asked staff to report back with cost estimates, identification of which employees would receive holiday pay differentials and any impacts on court scheduling, juror service and juvenile hearings.

No amendment or additional holiday took effect at the Oct. 13 meeting; the court will revisit the handbook amendments after staff provides cost and operational analysis.