Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel And Pay topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners approve $2,014.23 back pay for sheriff; personnel pay items discussed
Summary
The board voted to compensate Sheriff Kenny Bernard $2,014.23 for a 2025 salary shortfall and discussed a missed 3% raise for the Noxious Weed/Landfill superintendent; an executive session on non-elected wages was also held.
Ellsworth County commissioners voted Feb. 9 to compensate Sheriff Kenny Bernard $2,014.23 for a discrepancy between his agreed $70,000 salary and the amount shown on his 2025 W-2.
Sheriff Bernard told the board his 2025 W-2 showed earnings of $67,985.77; county payroll officials said they paid $70,000 minus 12 days in January before he took office. Bernard said the deduction did not reflect the intended $70,000 salary, and Commissioner Shawn Thomas moved to compensate him $2,014.23. Commissioner Dennis L. Rolfs seconded the motion and it carried 3-0.
Earlier in the meeting the board went into executive session from 9:43 a.m. to 9:53 a.m. to discuss non-elected wages with Road & Bridge Supervisor Bret Dunlap; the board returned to open session with no action stated from the executive session. Separately, Teresa Shute, the county’s Noxious Weed, Landfill & Recycling Superintendent, questioned why she did not receive a 3% raise; Commissioner Thomas said she should have received the increase and the board referred Shute to consult with Mitch Kempke about solutions for a landfill pit that currently has water at the bottom.
The minutes do not record additional personnel actions or any change to county-wide pay policy; the sheriff’s compensation was recorded as a single, board-approved payment.
