Board approves letter asking county manager to grant compensatory time to elections director

The Rockingham County Board of Elections approved a letter asking the county manager to grant compensatory time to the elections director for hours worked during the 2024 election season.

Members Schofield and another board member drafted the letter after reviewing the director’s workload during the election and calculating overtime. Member Schofield told the board the package documents incidents where the director worked in excess of normal hours, including a week in which she worked about 21 hours beyond regular schedule; the draft estimates a total of roughly 78 hours in excess of a 50-hour-per-week baseline across the period under review.

Board members noted county policy classifies many managerial positions as exempt from overtime or compensatory time, creating a conflict between county personnel rules and state law provisions concerning the boards of elections. The draft letter requests an exception to county policy and asks the county manager to allow compensatory time or other appropriate remedy. Members said any overtime granted would be recorded in the board minutes as required.

The board moved and seconded approval of the letter and voted to send it to the county manager. The chair asked that the board’s documentation and calculations accompany the request.

The board did not set a specific compensatory-rate threshold in the meeting but indicated staff review and county manager evaluation (including Mr. Metzler’s review) would inform the final number.

The board approved the letter to the county manager by voice vote; staff will forward the request with supporting documentation.