Neosho County commissioners spent substantial time Dec. 30 discussing payroll coding and budget-tracking between Solid Waste and Road & Bridge, concluding with personnel approvals to maintain operations.

County payroll staff explained that when employees split time between solid waste and road-and-bridge duties, overtime and callout pay often get coded into road and bridge or into earned comp codes, reducing the apparent personnel expense in the solid-waste budget and making year-to-year comparisons difficult. Commissioners noted solid waste’s personnel services showed approximately $42,000 through November and questioned whether adequate expenses were being recorded to that account.

Commissioners discussed options including combining budgets for next year or restoring the prior breakdown to improve transparency. Payroll staff said they would consult FLSA guidance and the county’s auditor to confirm allowable coding and report back at the next meeting.

Separately, the commission recessed into a 10-minute executive session on Road & Bridge personnel and then approved hiring one Road & Bridge employee (wage to be determined) effective Jan. 6, 2026; a prior motion also approved hiring a 911 employee effective Jan. 2, 2026 and a set of 2026 pay increases for multiple departments.

The panel also reviewed near-term road maintenance priorities including chip-and-seal, crack sealing and striping on Shaw Road and other locations, discussed possible use of sales tax funding for overlays and the need to coordinate with neighboring counties where work meets county lines.