Two compensation programs were approved when the Barton County Commission met Monday.
The commissioners moved forward a longevity pay plan and a special employee recognition bonus.
On longevity pay, the commissioners approved the pay, based on a formula that calls for an employee to have five years of service to qualify and that the pay is based on $3 per month for each employee and that the payments come in November.
County Administrator Richard Boeckman noted that the county has about $55,000 in its payroll adjustment fund and it has been estimated that paying longevity pay according to this formula would cost $49,000.
The pay is intended only for non-elected county employees, it was added.
The longevity pay was approved with Commissioner John Edmonds voting in opposition.
Also approved Monday was a $50 bonus to go to each recipient of the county’s quarterly Employee Recognition Award.
Boeckman noted that this was a matter that got overlooked for some time. “I think this falls into the category of something that slipped through the crack.”
He said it had been intended for the bonus to be part of the award, but that never got officially enacted.
So the council not only approved of it being awarded from here on out, but that the recipients back to 2008 would receive their bonuses.
It was noted that the bonuses will be paid as a part of the regular payroll and that applicable deductions would be made.
The bonus was unanimously approved.