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Prior Creek council authorizes solicitation for HR/payroll outsourcing and moves to create payroll clerk position
Summary
Councilmembers agreed to create a municipal payroll clerk position and to solicit proposals from outside firms to provide HR and payroll services, citing continuity concerns after recent staff turnover.
The Prior Creek City Council voted to create a municipal payroll clerk position and to solicit proposals from companies to provide outsourced human resources and payroll services.
Councilmembers said the move aims to provide continuity for payroll after recent staff turnover that left city operations vulnerable. Councilmember Choi made the motion, and Councilmember Brashears seconded it. The council directed staff to advertise the solicitation and to report back to the council at a future meeting.
Why it matters: Council members and staff said the city has struggled to maintain payroll continuity when individual employees left mid‑transition. Councilmember Charles Trammell and others argued soliciting outside firms would allow the city to compare costs and continuity options while also hiring an in‑house clerk. Hannah (staff member), who works in payroll, said, "I love the idea," when asked about outsourcing help and continuity support.
Discussion and details: Councilmembers discussed a local firm, Cassell, among potential vendors and noted Cassell offers transitional services and training. During the discussion a speaker said some vendors charge $200 an hour for transitional work; councilmembers asked staff to streamline the solicitation to define the scope of services sought.
The council agreed to create a payroll clerk position description and to advertise for candidates while simultaneously issuing a formal solicitation for outsourced HR/payroll services. Councilmembers set a goal to have proposals and candidate information returned to the council for further action at a subsequent meeting.
The motion as carried (motion by Councilmember Choi; second by Councilmember Brashears) authorized both the creation of the payroll clerk position and the solicitation for outside HR/payroll services. The council did not adopt a decision on a particular vendor; staff were directed to gather pricing and implementation options for council review.
The discussion included references to collective bargaining payroll complexity and the bargaining unit's special pay elements, which several speakers said can make payroll processing difficult for an inexperienced clerk. The council emphasized that any contract with a private vendor would remain under city oversight and that procurement/bid procedures would be followed.
Looking ahead: Staff will return with solicitation responses and candidate resumes at a future council meeting for final direction and possible hiring decisions.
