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Kossuth County OKs honoring older hire dates for EMS longevity pay
Summary
The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously May 27 to honor earlier hire dates for two emergency medical services employees for the purpose of the countylongevity schedule; pension/IPERS dates remain tied to county payroll records.
At its May 27 meeting, the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to honor earlier hire dates for two emergency medical services employees for the purpose of the countylongevity schedule.
The vote followed discussion about whether employees who transferred into the county EMS system from the City of Algona should receive longevity pay based on their original hire dates. "I have two employees that just reached their five years," said Phil (EMS staff), who asked the board for clarity. Payroll staff noted that the countypersonnel system contains two different dates for those employees: a 2020 "benefit" date used for vacation and other benefits, and a 2023 payroll/IPERS hire date required for retirement reporting.
The difference mattered because state retirement (IPERS) rules prevent reporting a hire date earlier than the date employees began receiving IPERS through Kossuth County. But the county resolution establishing the longevity schedule (Resolution 2-27-24) refers to "all full-time employees," prompting the request for a board determination about EMS staff eligibility and which hire date to apply for longevity pay.
Supervisor Stecker moved to "honor their hire date for the purposes of longevity," a motion seconded and then approved on a roll-call vote. The board recorded the motion as carrying unanimously (5-0).
The board and staff clarified that while the county will honor the earlier July 1, 2020, dates for longevity calculations and for vacation accruals, the employeesofficial county hire dates for IPERS and retirement remain the dates shown in payroll (2023) because of state reporting rules. Tammy (county staff) confirmed those distinctions during the discussion.
The board directed staff to implement the longevity payment consistent with the resolution and payroll controls.
The decision resolves a standing question about how the county would treat employees who were hired originally by another government entity but were transitioned into the county EMS system.
