Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel And Pay topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Perry County clerk asks council for one-time bonuses for deputies; council debates optics and timing
Summary
Clerk Joan Hess asked the council to approve one-time bonuses for two deputies in the clerk's office based on extraordinary work during a staffing shortage; council members expressed sympathy but raised concerns about precedent and optics and did not approve the request at this meeting.
PERRY COUNTY — Clerk Joan Hess told the Perry County Council that two deputies in the clerk’s office worked “so much on their own” during a difficult staffing year and asked the council to approve a one-time bonus to recognize their efforts.
Hess said the office is behind on staffing and budgeted salaries, and she told the council that “they are the most cooperative and helpful people I think I've ever worked with. They're they're really amazing. And I would like to somehow show our appreciation to them because they could have walked out the door as well.”
Council members acknowledged the deputies’ work but raised concerns about setting a precedent that other departments might expect similar bonuses. One councilmember noted bonuses had been given in the prosecutor’s office from grant funds and that different funding rules can apply to other offices. Another member asked whether the funds would come from the clerk’s existing general-fund salary savings; Hess said the office is currently below budget in salaries and proposed a one-time, non-permanent payment.
No formal motion to award the bonus was recorded during the meeting. Council discussion focused on ensuring fairness across departments and obtaining clear guidance about whether the clerk’s request should be funded from existing salary savings, a department perpetuation fund, or another source. Several council members asked staff to provide a clearer accounting of available funds and the likely optics should the council approve a one-time payment.
Why it matters: The clerk’s office handles election and court paperwork; maintaining continuity of experienced staff affects record-keeping and election administration. Council members said they are sympathetic to the clerk’s personnel concerns but cautious about ad hoc bonuses without broader policy guidance.
Next steps: The clerk was invited to work with the auditor to identify a funding source and to return with specific cost figures and recommended wording for any one-time payment. The council did not take action on the request at this meeting.
