The Greenwood County Commission met on Tuesday, May 26, to discuss routine business, including the proposed pay scale and the recent road viewing. The commissioners also heard public comments.
Discussion centered on a proposed county pay scale system intended to provide long-term budgeting stability and consistency among departments. The proposed pay scale was shared with commissioners during their May 18 meeting. The proposal included a 10-year projection cycle along with a separate estimate for the 2027 budget year. According to the discussion during the meeting, the proposed pay scale would cost approximately $132,000, which officials stated was $47,413.98 less than implementing a 5% across-the-board costof- living and merit increase system. Using the current pay scale, the total payroll for 2027 is estimated at $3,787,939.74. With the new tiered scale, the payroll would decrease to an approximate $3,740,525.76.
(Editor’s Note: Figures were based on projections of how current employees fit on the tier levels, as well as years of service.)
Commissioners and staff said the structured scale would allow department heads to better plan future budgets and employee compensation. The proposal groups positions into levels A through F based on job function and market comparisons.
Emergency Manager Levi Vinson shared that pay scale figures were developed using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kansas Department of Revenue data, and comparisons with counties similar to Greenwood County. Officials also noted artificial intelligence tools were used in analyzing the data.
Discussion also focused on accountability within the system. Vinson said safeguards would limit advancement to one tier increase per year, but warned the system could fail if department leadership approved raises without adequate oversight. Commissioners also discussed paid time off usage and employee vacation accruals. It was noted that some employees have recently taken time off to avoid losing accrued time.
It was noted that various job descriptions are still lacking from department heads. The commissioners approved a motion, requesting that the descriptions be submitted to the commission by June 8 and recommended that they be to Vinson by June 4.
Following their May 18 meeting, four of the commissioners traveled to a road viewing at N Road and 75th Street. Commissioner Mac Obourn reported that they found no reason the road should remain open, noting the property owner owned the adjacent property as well. The commission approved Resolution 2026-5 to formally close the road.
Noxious Weed Technician Devin Harris, along with Vinson, presented information on a possible pilot program involving roadside spraying for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). It was explained many Kansas counties already perform spraying services for KDOT rights-of-way and said the county is evaluating labor costs and operational requirements. The spraying program would follow Kansas Department of Agriculture timing guidelines and use chemicals specified by KDOT for certain noxious weeds.
Discussion included the possibility of hiring additional personnel who could assist both KDOT operations and township spraying needs.
Commissioner Roy Ballard expressed support for the concept, however, noted the county currently does not complete enough spraying work on its own roads and that the partnership could benefit county operations.
The commission approved moving forward with a trial run of the pilot program.
During public comments, Frank McCollum addressed ongoing concerns surrounding Greenwood County Hospital.
McCollum stated the hospital requires major structural changes rather than temporary solutions and questioned the facility’s long-term financial sustainability. He said there is little reason for residents to use the hospital in its current form and expressed concern about maintaining a large facility that does not generate sufficient revenue for the county. He referenced Osawatomie Hospital during his remarks and suggested county leaders consider separating or restructuring hospital operations.
The commission approved the May 18 meeting minutes and the presentation of claims as presented: special payables for $2,460.91; regular payables for $217,254.40 for May 29, and payroll for $157,786.66.
The commission also met for a routine business meeting on Monday, June 1.
See related article.
The next Greenwood County Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 8, at 9 a.m., in the Greenwood County Commission meeting room.
