The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of routine and year‑end items at its meeting, including an audit engagement, fund transfers, employee raises and a cemetery policy.

County administrator Jonathan presented an engagement letter from Gilmore Phillips to perform the 2024 annual audit (work to be done in 2025). He told commissioners the audit fee is $28,000 with a $5,000 single‑audit; "either the chairman can sign both of these," he said, and the board authorized the chairman to sign the engagement.

The board approved year‑end transfers including $10,200 from the household hazardous waste fund to the special noxious weed fund and a plan to transfer the remaining balance (a little north of $50,000) from the inactive solid waste fund to risk management with the intent to close the solid waste fund after outstanding obligations are paid.

On personnel costs the commission adopted a resolution to allocate a 3% total pay increase for county employees (2% cost‑of‑living and 1% merit). The resolution excludes elected officials and commissioners and requires department heads to perform performance evaluations to determine merit allocations.

The board also adopted a policy for Highland Cemetery that formalizes burial of unclaimed bodies and specifies county staff will dig graves while Webb and Roderick will handle and sign for body handling; the policy will have an enforcing resolution attached to it. "Our job is to dig a hole," the county administrator said when describing staff responsibilities.

Other actions: the board authorized an extension of the countys electronic health record contract using available COVID grant funds, approved the purchase of seven iPads for public‑health mobile charting, accepted several occupational and beverage licenses for local clubs, and authorized administration to explore a building negotiation after an executive session.

The meeting included two executive sessions under KSA 75‑4319(b)(1) and KSA 75‑4319(b)(6); the first returned with no action, and the second resulted in the commission authorizing administration to enter into building negotiations without a formal recorded vote. The board adjourned after approving all items on the agenda.