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Commissioners approve $14,469 transfer to Road & Bridge 3 overtime after extended debate
Summary
After a lengthy discussion about staffing, workload and accounting practices, Hardin County Commissioners approved a transfer of $14,469 from a temporary salaries line to the Road & Bridge 3 overtime budget to cover anticipated overtime through the fiscal year.
Hardin County Commissioners Court voted to transfer $14,469 from the Road & Bridge 3 temporary salaries line item into the salaries-overtime line to cover overtime needs for the remainder of fiscal year 2025.
Commissioners and precinct officials engaged in an extended discussion about staffing levels, rising workloads, maintenance demands, and recent increases in material costs. Road and bridge precinct officials described heavy workloads driven by new residential driveways, increased drainage work and the rising cost of asphalt; one precinct official said returning to contractor-based asphalt work would slow progress and leave only about one mile paved per year under current prices.
Precinct supervisors argued overtime work — including Friday crews — is necessary to maintain access for residents in widely dispersed precincts. Commissioners and the county auditor discussed accounting practices and a recommendation from the outside auditor to handle line-item adjustments during the year rather than consolidating many changes at year-end. The court also discussed options such as hiring additional staff, using comp time, or reallocating other salary funds; several commissioners said the long‑term solution is to address staffing and line-item levels in upcoming budget workshops.
On the motion recorded in court, the transfer was moved (mover not specified on the record) and seconded by Commissioner Cooper. The court voted in favor of the transfer. County staff said the change will allow precinct crews to continue necessary overtime work but reiterated that any further requests will be tracked and reviewed during the FY26 budget process.
What commissioners said: precinct officials emphasized that emergency callouts, weather and a widely distributed road network create staffing needs that make regular overtime unavoidable without additional hires. The county auditor and others urged attention to long-term budget design and recommended averaging historical overtime during budget workshops to set appropriate line-item amounts.
