Commission Approves Budget Amendments; Tables One Pay Item, Raises Convenience‑Center Part‑Time Rate to $10.50

Hardeman County commissioners approved multiple budget amendments and adjustments and separately approved raising the hourly rate for convenience‑center part‑time workers to $10.50 for the remainder of the fiscal year. Commissioners also tabled one personnel pay amendment requested by the sheriff pending clarification.

What passed: The commission approved a packet of budget amendments (identified in meeting materials as items 13–15 and 17–27). County staff explained the amendments covered routine line‑item transfers, replacement of office equipment from reserve funds, grants that created positions in the health department, opioid settlement funds for law enforcement equipment, ambulance equipment purchases from an opioid reserve, and other operational adjustments. The budget committee recommended approval of the listed amendments to the full commission.

Convenience‑center wages: Commissioners approved a motion to increase convenience‑center part‑time wages to $10.50 per hour for the remainder of the fiscal year. Committee members explained federal thresholds on part‑time hours prompted centers to reduce hours to 25 per week; the committee said funds exist in the current landfill/convenience center budget to support the $10.50 rate for the remainder of the year. Commissioners discussed whether to set a precedent for mid‑year raises and agreed workshop discussion on pay‑policy and mid‑year raises would be useful before adopting any broader practice.

Tabled pay amendment: The commission pulled budget amendment number 16 — a personnel pay adjustment (a roughly $1,507 line transfer related to pay for a sheriff’s office employee who had taken on additional duties and is obtaining certification). Commissioners debated policy that individual salary increases should be included in the annual budget rather than mid‑year, and ultimately moved to table that amendment pending further clarification; the sheriff had advocated keeping the item but commissioners requested it be handled during budget work for the next fiscal year.

Process notes: County staff said combined reserve balances will be circulated at the next meeting and that most of the transfers were allowable under reserve line‑item rules. Several commissioners asked for a workshop to clarify county practice on mid‑year pay adjustments and for clearer approaches to handling individual versus group pay changes.

Outcome and next steps: The approved amendments were enacted as recommended by the budget committee. The convenience‑center wage change was approved; amendment 16 was tabled for further review and to be revisited during budget discussions.