Seward County treasurer wins pay-scale adjustment funded from treasurer account

The Seward County Board of Commissioners approved a treasurer-proposed pay-scale realignment July 20 that will change starting pay ranges in the treasurer's office. Treasurer Mary Rose told commissioners the proposed spread would help retain staff and align new hires with other county departments; she said the changes would be funded from the treasurer's fund and not the general fund.

Mary Rose described how the treasurer receives transaction-based compensation from the Kansas Department of Revenue — historically about $10,000 per year, with a statutory cap of $15,000 — and said the treasurer's fund can be used for compensation in compliance with state rules. "It is compensation through the Kansas Department of Revenue... If there's not money in that fund, you cannot get that," she said. Commissioners debated whether to wait until the budget work session, but Commissioner Stanton moved to adopt the 07/15/2026 pay-scale memorandum and the motion passed 4–0.

The board also addressed concerns about the treasurer's check register: commissioners had requested more detail after seeing large totals, and Treasurer Rose explained that many entries are motor-vehicle refunds that are confidential and cannot be separated from tax refunds in the single register. County Counselor Forrest said the commissioners could review whether they are getting the information they need, but noted that some confidentiality restrictions are statutory.