Commissioners approve one-time leave and bonuses for county staff after Hurricane Helene

The Transylvania County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 approved a one-time personnel measure to compensate county employees for extended closures and emergency response related to Hurricane Helene.

County Manager proposed two linked measures: a graduated bonus for exempt employees who logged extraordinary hours during the pay period spanning Sept. 24–Oct. 6, and five days of "hurricane Helene administrative leave" granted to all permanent county employees to replace leave taken during the five consecutive closure days. The manager said exempt bonus levels would be tied to hours worked: $800 for 81–100 hours, $2,800 for 101–150 hours, $4,800 for 151–200 hours, and $5,600 for more than 200 hours during that pay window. The manager estimated the direct cost of the exempt bonus portion at about $70,000 plus FICA and mandatory contributions and recommended allocating $200,000 from fund balance to cover total administrative costs.

Commissioners discussed equity concerns and administrative details—how leave would be tracked, whether it would count toward retirement or rollover, and whether managers could authorize future emergency adjustments—but ultimately approved the proposal by voice vote. "We will look at…updates to the personnel policy," the manager said, noting the action is a one-time response to an extraordinary closure and that staff will return with policy options for the board.

The measure: approved (voice vote); implementation tasks include code changes in payroll and supervisors' approvals to schedule administrative leave within 24 months.