Dawson County approves larger PTO buyback and higher carryover caps for employees

The Dawson County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 17 to raise annual paid‑time‑off (PTO) buyback limits and to increase the maximum allowable PTO carryover, revising Section 14.3 of the county Employee Handbook.

Human Resources Director Kristi Finley presented a revised proposal that raises the buyback cap for standard schedules. Under the approved change, eligible employees can sell back up to 120 hours for an 80‑hour employee, up to 126 hours for an 84‑hour employee, and up to 144 hours for a 96‑hour employee, provided the employee retains a minimum balance equal to the respective cap. The board also adjusted maximum carryover limits: 480 hours for 80‑hour employees, 504 hours for 84‑hour employees and 576 hours for 96‑hour employees.

The motion passed 4-0. The board document states that employees who already participated in the 2024 buyback are allowed a one‑time option to request an additional buyback up to the new limits before the end of 2024.

The change amends Section 14.3 and Section 14.3.5 (Maximum Allowable PTO) of the Employee Handbook. The minutes do not specify fiscal impact estimates, projected one‑time costs for the additional buybacks, or whether the county will fund the payouts from contingency or operating budgets; those details were not provided in the meeting record.

The board took the action as a standard personnel policy change; no public comment was recorded on the item. The next procedural step is to update the Employee Handbook to reflect the newly approved language.