Henry County Council approves year‑end transfers and agrees to delay sheriff holiday payouts into January

Henry County Council members approved a series of year‑end budget transfers and discussed an administrative fix to holiday pay treatment in the sheriff’s office that will shift the immediate cost into the next fiscal year.

Clerk and department staff presented several transfers: a voter-registration transfer of $23,009.69 from election board repair and maintenance to ballot programming; health-department internal transfers (including $1,004.63 into nursing supplies and other line-item moves); and a $1,500 transfer from lockbox fees to longevity in the treasurer’s office. Each request was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the meeting.

Council members then discussed a larger personnel-cost issue: higher-than-expected salary increases had increased the county’s workers’ compensation audit rate, producing a workers’ comp bill staff sized at about $105,000. Staff requested a transfer of $15,107.47 from sick pay to a reclassification line to cover the audit adjustment; the council approved the transfer.

Council members spent the most time on a payroll-timing issue affecting the sheriff’s office. A council member summarized that holiday pay had been treated differently in the 9‑1‑1 center (paid out) and the sheriff’s office (converted to comp time and intended to be paid out at year‑end). That divergence risked pushing the commissioners’ benefits line negative for 2025 if sheriff holiday payouts were processed this year. The auditor’s office recommended paying affected officers in the first pay period of January so the cost posts to 2026, then accepting a formal reappropriation or additional appropriation request from the sheriff’s office during the normal early‑year hearing cycle.

As the council member who described the situation put it, “Either way, folks that are due their holiday pay should be paid their holiday pay,” and staff recommended the January‑payroll approach as the least disruptive option. The council did not take a formal vote on the timing change at this meeting; staff said an additional‑appropriation request will likely come in February or March and require the usual public‑hearing process.

What happens next: staff will process eligible holiday payouts in the first January pay period so the expense posts to 2026, and the sheriff’s office will be expected to submit a reappropriation/additional appropriation request for council consideration with public hearing as required by county procedure.

Authorities cited in meeting: none beyond standard county budget/appropriation processes.