Affected staff members attend commission meeting seeking the restoration of earned seniority and leave benefits.
FORT SCOTT, Kan. — The Bourbon County Commission took steps Monday to overhaul its payroll policies after dozens of employees filled the meeting room to protest lost leave and altered employment records.
The demonstration followed several months of technical and administrative issues linked to the county's transition to a new payroll provider.
County Clerk Susan Walker presented the Commission with a list of 41 employees that were adversely affected by the change.
"I'm here to advocate for the employees on this list who have been adversely affected by your actions as a governing body," Walker told the commissioners.
"These employees of Bourbon County deserve better, and I'm asking you to do what is right for these employees."
Longtime employees testified that their seniority was effectively ignored in the new system. Alvin Metcalf, a veteran Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office employee, described the shock of finding his leave hours removed without explanation.
"It kind of took me back because it ended up being retroed…” Metcalf said. ”It doesn't say who did it or why it was done or anything like that."
Bobby Reed, an employee of 16 years, expressed similar frustration over being treated like a recent hire.“I've given 16 years of service to this community and this county,” Reed said, “and now it's all being swept away and I'm treated like a two-year employee.”
Following testimony from several County employees, Commissioner David Beerbower introduced a resolution to return the county to a "front-loading" leave system based on 2025 seniority records.
The plan is intended to honor previous agreements, such as Resolution 5125, which stated that any remaining vacation or sick leave from 2025 would carry over into the 2026 fiscal year.
"This to me is a fix to the problems that we got now." Beerbower said.
County Counselor Bob Johnson agreed to review the resolution's language for legality before the board takes a final vote. A vote on the measure is expected to take place next week.
The commission also passed immediate motions to allow all employees access to view their leave balances, and the ability to edit their own time entries until the end of a pay period. This capability was previously "unlocked" only for the Sheriff’s Office and EMS.
The Monitor will provide additional coverage of the remainder of Monday's four-hour commission meeting in future reports.
