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Floyd County adopts ordinance to allow employee bonuses after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing and brief discussion, the Floyd County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance that puts in place local authorization for monetary bonuses to county employees, including those in the Department of Social Services, while reserving actual payments for later board approval.
The Floyd County Board of Supervisors on May 27 adopted an ordinance authorizing the county to approve monetary bonuses for county employees, a preliminary step needed after the General Assembly authorized a one-time 1.5% bonus for Department of Social Services staff.
The ordinance does not itself authorize any payments. "This ordinance does not authorize a specific bonus to any county employee or DSS employee at this time. This does not expend any county funds," Durbin (staff member) told the board during the public hearing. He said the ordinance simply puts the mechanism on the books so the board can later approve payments, either through the budget, a budget amendment or a standalone appropriation.
Why it matters: The General Assembly action prompted the county to adopt local enabling language. During the hearing, resident Paul Kitchen of the Little River District urged a structured approach to payouts, arguing bonuses should be tied to measurable objectives so taxpayers see a return. "If the county simply gives every employee a cash payment and calls it a bonus ... that would be a waste of taxpayers' money," Kitchen said.
Board members asked whether the ordinance could be read as giving the county administrator unilateral authority. Durbin said subsection d requires board approval for payments and offered a drafting fix to make that explicit; the board approved the amended language.
The board approved the amended ordinance by voice vote. Durbin said a separate action item will be brought to the board at a future meeting if and when the county is ready to authorize a particular payout.
The board also scheduled follow-up procedural steps: any bonus payment will return to the board for formal appropriation and approval before funds are spent.
