County administrator urges quick fix for payroll compliance; long‑term payroll and pay‑study work planned

The county administrator told the board recent state action changed the definition of sovereign immunity and effectively requires localities that run monthly payrolls to switch to a biweekly/bimonthly cadence. He said Greene County’s legacy payroll system (described as older, “the eighties” system) cannot be reconfigured to comply and recommended soliciting three quotes for a modern payroll service as an interim solution; staff estimated the interim solution would cost around $35,000 per year.

The administrator also reported a new state minimum salary requirement of $55,000 for family‑services specialists. As an immediate step, staff has adjusted hiring advertisements to reflect the new minimum and proposed a temporary pay band while considering a refreshed pay study (costs for a study estimated in the transcript at roughly $50,000 to $100,000). The board directed staff to solicit quotes and return with a recommendation in September.