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DeWitt County finance committee debates pay after county clerk closed office for weather
Summary
A dispute over who may close county offices and authorize paid hours arose after the County Clerk closed her office for weather and told staff they would be paid. The committee approved a reminder about the county building-closure/pay policy and discussed reassignment of payroll duties.
Melonie Tilley, chair of the DeWitt County Finance Committee, and other committee members debated whether employees should have been paid after the county clerk closed her office for weather on a recent pay period.
Kari Harris, County Clerk, said she closed her office because of weather and informed staff they would be paid. Committee members reviewed county policy that "if a building closure is authorized, then employees are paid." Committee member Claro Carter said elected officials have discretion in running their offices, noting "elected officials have the right to run their office." Other members, including Tilley and Terry Ferguson, said employees should have been required to use paid time off in that circumstance.
Committee discussion also covered who is responsible for payroll duties in the clerk’s office. Harris said she has been doing payroll because the payroll clerk "has not caught onto the duties" and the committee discussed whether those duties should be reassigned if the clerk cannot delegate them. County Administrator Dee Rentmeister said the county will send a reminder to department heads and elected officials about the formal building-closure policy and that employees will only be paid without using PTO when closures are authorized under policy.
The committee did not overturn the payroll payments already made; it approved a procedural reminder to clarify who may authorize building closures and paid hours.
