County workers may have to track hours
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Identifying which Wharton County employees will need to start tracking their working hours more closely is among the items for discussion by county commissioners Monday.

"We need to clarify which employees are exempt and which are not exempt from having to track their hours and fill out a time sheet," County Judge John Murrile said.

"The Texas Association of Counties came in and informed us that some of those people are not exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA.) And under that law, TAC informed us that once you know about it, you have to act on it."

Among those employees who will have to start filling out time sheets are Maintenance Director Paul Shannon and Permit Inspector Monica Martin.

"Both of them work a lot of extra hours and, really, they deserve to be compensated for their efforts," Murrile said. "And in the long run, it will benefit the county. When we go to FEMA for reimbursement for hours worked during disaster situations, we've got to have a history on employee hours to be properly paid back by the federal government."

In other possible action items on the agenda, the commissioners will be asked to set asphalt paving rates for the city of East Bernard.

"We don't want to compete with private contractors," Murrile said. "But the city can't always get bids for the smaller projects."

Murrile said the county already owns the equipment needed to handle the work.

"Everybody is a resident of the county," he said. "We have the resources that the cities can't always afford and for the county and cities to be successful, we all have to work together."