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Auditor urges payroll software, cites $15,500 first-year cost and $50,000 annual overtime outlier
Summary
The auditor recommended a unified payroll system to reduce duplicate data entry and human error, saying first-year implementation would cost about $15,500 with recurring $4,000 annual fees; the auditor also flagged one employee with over 400 overtime hours across three years costing roughly $50,000 and recommended handbook changes on comp time and overtime distribution.
The county auditor told the board that inconsistent payroll practices across departments are creating duplicate data entry, increased error risk and significant staff time costs, and proposed a single payroll system to consolidate entries.
The auditor said departments currently submit hours in different formats and the auditor’s office re-enters that information, increasing human error and costing staff time. He estimated annual staff and error costs of roughly $8,500 in lost productivity and a part-time payroll clerk costing about $2,400–$2,500 per month.
The auditor described a vendor solution with a combined first-year cost of about $15,500 — including one-time implementation fees cited as $4,500 and $7,000 plus per-employee first-year licensing estimated at $4,000 for roughly 100 employees — and recurring annual fees around $4,000. He said the efficiency gains and holding a vacant part-time position for a few months could help offset the implementation expense and produce a multi-year payback.
Board members questioned the math and payback timing; the auditor responded with the cost breakdown and noted additional benefits such as overtime tracking, consistent reporting and fewer paycheck corrections.
Separately, the auditor flagged personnel-policy and handbook issues: he found no documentation of pre-approval for overtime in one department where a single employee logged more than 400 overtime hours over three years, which he estimated cost the county roughly $50,000 annually. He recommended clearer policies on flex time, distribution of overtime, and allowing employees to carry up to 40 hours of comp time from year to year to avoid large end-of-year cash payouts and service disruptions.
The board thanked the auditor and agreed the handbook and personnel policies require an overhaul; they requested a work session to review the recommendations. No formal vote was recorded.
