Franklin County Commission tables proposed personnel-policy overhaul after elected officials ask for redline and circulation

The Franklin County Commission voted to table a proposed revision to the county’s personnel policy manual after elected officials said the commission order did not make clear what text would change in the 70-page document.

At the meeting Commissioner Overschmidt moved to table Commission Order 2025-39, “in the matter of adopting a revised employee personnel policy manual for designated employees of Franklin County, Missouri.” The motion was seconded and carried; the commission directed staff to circulate a redlined draft of the revisions to elected officials and department heads and allow a comment period before the item returns to a future hearing.

Why it matters: The personnel manual governs employee leave, benefits and other workplace rules. Elected officials said they and other stakeholders were referenced in the draft but did not see a clear redline showing changes, and requested time to review and comment.

What officials said

“...it would be good to know what is being approved, and I would greatly appreciate that,” said Lisa, an elected official, urging the commission to make the commission order clearer and to circulate the redlined changes. Lisa said the manual in its current presentation requires line-by-line comparison with the prior version to see what would change and that elected officials should have an opportunity to provide input.

Commission staff and the presiding commissioner said staff will circulate the draft and offer a time period for comment; one staff member (Mark) said he would share the version he previously distributed and provide elected officials a dedicated period to reply prior to the next commission hearing.

Meeting record details and next steps

- Commission Order: 2025-39 (revised employee personnel policy manual) — motion to table by Commissioner Overschmidt, seconded; outcome: tabled.

- Direction to staff: circulate redlined draft of the personnel policy to elected officials and department heads; provide a dedicated comment period and return to a subsequent commission hearing for further action.

Clarifying details captured in the meeting

- The personnel manual presented as a commission order did not include inline redline markings to show what would change from the prior version; elected officials requested a redlined version to identify revisions without performing a manual comparison.

- Staff offered to table the order and circulate the draft to elected officials and department heads with a deadline to reply prior to the next hearing.

Quote (verbatim from transcript)

“I respectfully request that, the commission order be, clear about the revisions that are made because if we have to take a, 70 page document toe to toe, there there is no red line.” — Lisa

What’s next

Staff will circulate the draft with redline indications to elected officials and department heads; the commission will revisit Commission Order 2025-39 at a future meeting after the comment period. No final policy changes were adopted at this meeting.