County bi-weekly pay schedule will proceed despite concern from some elected officials

By H.B. Dodds, Staff Writer
Posted 1/11/23

OSAGE COUNTY — Osage County’s bi-weekly pay schedule is now in place for county employees, with the Jan. 6 paycheck reflecting hours worked between Dec. 21-31, 2022. 

In December …

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County bi-weekly pay schedule will proceed despite concern from some elected officials

Posted

OSAGE COUNTY — Osage County’s bi-weekly pay schedule is now in place for county employees, with the Jan. 6 paycheck reflecting hours worked between Dec. 21-31, 2022. 

In December 2022, commissioners approved a bi-weekly pay schedule — 26 paychecks per year. However, that system has raised some controversy. Some workers and department heads anticipated semi-monthly pay on set calendar dates. Such a routine is more advantageous for scheduling automatic debits for monthly bills. Many were hoping for this convenience while adjusting their household budgets. 

A switch from monthly pay to bi-weekly checks has long been debated. The main beneficiaries will be new employees. In the past, depending on a worker’s hiring date, he or she may have had to wait as long as 45 days to get a paycheck. Workers coming from a condition of unemployment have found that to be very difficult. In recent years, consensus has built among elected officials and department heads. They agree there should be more frequent pay.

Sharp questioning arose from that camp over short notice before the system changed. Osage County Recorder Cindy Hoffman, Osage County Assessor Tina Kammerich, and Osage County Collector Denise Nolte led the delegation. 

“The lack of information going out is the issue,” Nolte asserted.

Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin asked all department heads available to come into the Commission Room and clear the air. 

Osage County Sheriff Mike Bonham, Sheriff’s Office Administrative Coordinator Andrea Rice, Sheriff’s Office Clerk Charlotte Townley, Osage County Clerk Nicci Kammerich, Osage County Deputy Clerk Juanita Libbert, and Osage County Treasurer Valerie Prater also attended the meeting. Osage County 911/EMA Director Ron Hoffman and Kempker sent their opinions on the issue by proxy. 

Griffin began by detailing how the discussion had been ongoing for months. The final commission vote was published in commission minutes and appeared in the regular commission news in the Unterrified Democrat. The 2023 pay schedule was printed and distributed to all employees before Christmas. 

Osage County Eastern District Commissioner John Trenshaw insisted that should have been enough to inform any stakeholders. “Our employees are not stupid and illiterate,” he asserted. 

Nolte countered that fewer people read the newspaper these days. Even fewer will log on to the county website to read the minutes of every commission meeting. “I think we owe the employees that information because we’re messing with their paychecks,” added Cindy Hoffman, who agreed with Nolte. They believe a direct effort to inform each office should have gone above and beyond the website and the paper. 

Rice, Townley, Ron Hoffman, and Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker Kempker firmly advocated for strict bi-weekly pay. They review and edit hourly employee timesheets for a different kind of worker, who often work shifts of inconsistent duration. “It’s easier,” said Rice. 

Having a strict 80-hour base to start with, and calculate from, reduces the variables. Semi-monthly pay would corrupt that. Calculating overtime and comp pay would become a headache. 

The others maintained neutrality, insisting they could handle things either way. Nicci Kammerich said her only concern is for the majority of the county’s workforce to end up getting its way.

Cindy Hoffman, Tina Kammerich, and Nolte reluctantly conceded those wanting the system already approved and scheduled represented a larger number of workers than those disagreeing. “My people said they’d figure it out,” said Kammerich.

The conference ended with an agreement to leave things as they were. Griffin, though, was sensitive to the idea that communication was lacking. He proposed carving out a portion of a regular commission meeting each month, during which any county employee could attend and ask about anything affecting their work. “Come up and get it from the horse’s mouth,” said Griffin. “The commissioners did not try to hide anything from any elected official. We’re trying, but we’re not going to make everybody happy.”