The Webster Parish Police Jury changed its personnel policy regarding overtime for two employees in order to address a repeat finding in their annual audit.
Secretary Treasurer Ronda Carnahan explained two employees, one who works at the courthouse and the other who works at the E-911 office, are paid overtime each pay period, but their pay does not change. The payroll for these two employees was set up in such a way that overtime was built into their pay.
“Back when the assessor’s office moved, they needed someone to do their floors,” she said. “The agreement made at that time was to pay a
supervisor two hours per week overtime. He did that after hours. He goes over there and does stuff during the day, but this is additional work.
The other employee, when the 911 office opened on Homer Road, essentially the same agreement was made with her. We cannot pay someone overtime as a regular thing.”
To address the audit issue, she suggested the jury raise their rate of pay to equal what they are making in regular hours combined with overtime. The issue is not that the police jury is paying the two employees erroneously, but rather to adjust the payroll system to avoid another audit finding.
The problem comes in, Randy Thomas, District 4, said is the road crew, at times, will make overtime if they work after hours.
“It’s going to cause some problems,” Public Works Supervisor Teddy Holloway, said. “How can we do for one and not the other?”
The difference is the two employees in question are on scheduled overtime. The road crew is not; they would continue to get overtime pay when they work over their allotted hours.
“The only difference with these two employees is that it’s every week,” she said. “The only reason I suggested this is because these are the only two that get overtime 52 weeks out of the year.”
Juror Nick Cox, District 8, moved to fix the issue immediately, seconded by Juror Vera Davison, District 10, and it was passed unanimously.
The road crew and other employees will be addressed at a later time, Carnahan said.