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Commissioners debate phasing out comp-time buckets, treasurer warns of long-term liability
Summary
Officials reviewed comp-time rules and data showing the county's comp buckets totaled about 6,800 hours (approx. $216,000 value) by April 2026; the treasurer warned that accrued comp time can grow into large future liabilities and commissioners discussed policy options including requiring comp-time use before vacation and stopping future accruals.
HR director Cammie Webb summarized the county's comp-time policy under FLSA and said Rockwall caps comp buckets at 40 hours for most nonexempt employees (public-safety exceptions aside). She presented historical snapshots: in Sept. 2024 the county had about 6,162 comp hours (~$193,000), in Sept. 2025 about 6,300 hours (~$203,000), and in April 2026 about 6,800 hours (~$216,000). Webb estimated that if the county had paid out cash instead of comp-time in FY2024 it would have paid roughly $821,000 in overtime for that year.
The treasurer cautioned that comp buckets can create escalating liabilities because hours earned at lower wages are cashed out years later at higher wages. "If you earn $10 an hour and you're going to credit me 1.5, in 30 years you're paying me $60," the treasurer said, arguing that long-run costs can grow substantially. Commissioners discussed several policy changes: require employees to use comp time before vacation (with holiday safeguards), preserve existing balances but stop future accruals and pay future overtime in cash, or selectively eliminate comp buckets in departments where accruals are already causing budget forecasting problems. The court directed staff to refine options and modeling so the policy committee can propose a measured transition that avoids a single large payout while reducing future liability.
