Gates County board adopts personnel policy, repeals long‑standing ordinance

The Gates County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to repeal the county's personnel ordinance and adopt a new personnel policy after a public hearing at its regular meeting.

Assistant County Manager Warren Perry told the board the move is meant to provide clarity, consistency and structure across departments. "The personnel policy is the blueprint by which an organization runs," Perry said, summarizing proposed changes that include the implementation of Gates County longevity pay, per‑diem increases for travel meals, increased vacation accrual rates, and provisions allowing overtime pay with county manager approval.

The hearing on the proposed change opened for public comment but no one signed up to speak. Commissioners then moved the personnel policy onto the consent agenda and approved the repeal and related consent items by unanimous voice vote. County Attorney Pitt Godwin and staff were publicly thanked for the multiyear effort to complete the policy.

Board members said the county will follow up with departmental meetings to explain how the policy affects employees and that management training for supervisors is planned for the quarter. The county will post the final policy on its website and provide hard copies at the clerk's office.

The action replaces an ordinance that commissioners said had been in development for many years; implementation details, including the schedule for any effective dates or specific pay schedules, were described as part of forthcoming departmental briefings and were not specified at the meeting.