Essex County resident urges board to address school payroll failures after recent centralization

Michelle Dundee, a resident of the Greater Tabahannock District, told the Essex County Board of Supervisors that school staff continue to suffer after a payroll transition that she said left some employees unpaid or only partially paid.

Dundee said she had emailed twice about overdraft fees and had not received responses. “We don’t have our paychecks as normal,” she told the board, saying she could name multiple employees who were not paid on time or who have not received all back pay. She asked the board and county staff to apologize publicly and to meet with school staff so members could explain operational problems and identify fixes.

The comment prompted questions from supervisors about whether overdraft fees and outstanding back pay were still an issue. Board members said they would investigate options and requested staff provide more detail on unpaid wages and any associated fees. One supervisor said the county had done due diligence but that additional follow‑up would be appropriate; another asked for an offline meeting to separate county responsibilities from those of the school board and superintendent.

The board did not take formal action at the meeting to reimburse overdraft fees or to authorize payments; members instructed staff to look into the situation and report back at a future meeting. The chair and county staff said they would coordinate with school officials and, where appropriate, legal counsel to clarify responsibility and potential remedies.

The public comment concluded with Dundee inviting board members to visit classrooms and meet staff so they could see the operational impacts of the payroll problems firsthand.