Boone County approves HSA contribution schedule, sets budget calendar; discusses courthouse security, longevity pay and PTO changes

Boone County commissioners on Oct. 25 discussed several budget and personnel items and approved a set of health savings account (HSA) contribution amounts for 2026 while scheduling follow-up work on courthouse security upgrades and other budget priorities.

County Auditor asked the commission to approve HSA contribution levels for 2026 and read a draft county policy on dual employee enrollment. "If both spouses are eligible for coverage through the county as full time employees, they must be enrolled under 1 family or employee plus. 1 spouse will be designated as the primary plan holder ... Dual enrollment and separate individual employee plans is not permitted," the auditor said. The commission approved the HSA amounts — $1,200 for employee-only coverage ($48 per pay) and $2,400 for employee-plus coverage ($96 per pay) — by voice vote after a motion to adopt those amounts was made and seconded.

The commission also heard budget-related proposals that would affect staff pay and benefits. The county auditor asked the commission to consider raising the recommended pay increase from 3% to 4% for the county salary plan, characterizing the change as a way to preserve cost-of-living adjustments across the workforce. "I am asking that the council consider a 4% instead of a 3% increase," the auditor said. Commissioners agreed to revisit that pay recommendation at the next meeting in October.

Commissioners and staff discussed a proposed one-time longevity payout for employees with 20 or more consecutive years of full-time service. The compensation committee recommended a $2,000 one-time payout beginning in 2026; staff estimated about 17–19 employees would qualify in 2026 at an approximate total cost of $40,000, falling to an estimated $14,000 in 2027 if about seven employees then qualify. Commissioners discussed placing funds in a nonreverting account so the payouts could be budgeted and paid without affecting year-to-year operating budgets.

The commission discussed changes to the county's paid time off (PTO) accrual cap and a plan to pay down large PTO balances to a new cap. Staff said the compensation committee is proposing to reduce the accrual maximum (discussed in the meeting as a change from a 420-hour cap to a 210-hour cap) and to provide a one-time payout that would lower current balances to the new cap. Staff said total one-time payouts to achieve that reduction are below $100,000 but did not give a precise figure at the meeting.

Facilities and courthouse security also featured in the discussion. Commissioners reported two facility tours with judges and court staff and said sheriff's office staff and county facilities personnel were developing recommendations for security upgrades in judicial offices and public areas. Sheriff Tony Harris and Captain Kevin McClain were cited as consulting on security ideas; commissioners said some recommended details should be handled outside the public meeting for safety reasons. The commission indicated it had set aside $500,000 for repairs and upgrades and made that allocation contingent on receiving a project list and cost estimates from staff by October for formal review and approval.

On procedural actions, the commission voted to move forward with a levy appeal and to include the proposed budget for final adoption at the Oct. 9, 2025 meeting. Both motions passed by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.

Commissioners identified additional items for follow-up at the October meeting, including a written project list and cost estimates for courthouse repairs, more precise numbers for the PTO payout plan, a formal recommendation on the salary increase percentage, and details about the HR consulting line item (staff suggested reducing a $10,000 line to $5,000 but requested additional information before making a change).

The commission recessed following routine procedural motions.