Who says elected officials can give their employees a bonus?

Friday, February 16, 2018

Bourbon County Commissioners are in the early stages of a process to determine who has control over budgets and various funding mechanisms in the county.

At their Tuesday meeting, commissioners met with County Counselor Justin Meeks who said he is researching an Attorney General’s opinion regarding funding mechanisms, and the authority of county commissions in Kansas. Meeks said one issue he is looking at is elected officials using excess funds within their budgets to give out bonuses. The AG’s opinion also deals with pay plans and salaries.

“I’ve been doing some research on this, but I’m not done,” he said. “I’ve also talked to two department heads.”

Also attending the meeting were Sheriff Bill Martin, Undersheriff Ben Cole, Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center Major Bobby Reed, and Register of Deeds Lora Holdridge.

Meeks said one goal is looking at retention of employees and wages to stay competitive with other counties.

“The pay scale is maybe not as competitive as it maybe should be,” Meeks told the Tribune.

Meeks said at the meeting one elected official is currently giving bonuses and another elected official wants to give retention or longevity bonuses. He said the treasurer’s office generates money outside the control of the commissioners and the treasurer has distributed some of that money out as an incentive bonus.

“It comes through money they generate, not county money,” Meeks told the Tribune.

Meeks said during the meeting retention bonuses “could be authorized” through respective department budgets. He is looking at whether raises can be given out without commission approval.

“Right now, they’re giving a bonus the commissioners don’t have control over,” he said.

The issue stems from longevity pay, and recent discussion with commissioners on money being set aside for a longevity pay program.

Meeks said “it’s a checks and balances system.”

“You guys (commissioners) are the pure form of what democracy is,” he said.

Meeks said there are “certain things commissioners have control over,” and there are parameters set by commissioners that elected officials must stay within.

“After the budget is approved, who has control?” Meeks said.