Kingsford Heights council orders executive session after dispute over time cards and payroll liaison
February 25, 2026 | LaPorte County, Indiana
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Kingsford Heights' town council on Feb. 23 scheduled an executive session and moved to change payroll liaisons after a heated public discussion about time cards, overtime calculations and perceived conflicts of interest.
The dispute began when a staff member said she had “blacked out the previous weeks on the time card” to make it easier for the clerk to sign. Council members said the redactions prevented proper review. “When you blacked it out, I wasn't able to see anything,” a council member said during the meeting.
Council members and staff debated whether vacation and holiday pay count as time worked when calculating overtime. The presiding officer noted the town’s personnel manual contains inconsistent language and asked staff to prepare written clarifications; he recommended using the existing manual language as the town’s current policy until it is revised.
Multiple speakers urged that allegations of improper edits to time cards be handled privately. A council member called for an executive session to discuss employee-specific compensation and personnel matters. The board set an executive session for Thursday, March 5, at 4:30 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6 p.m.
During public comment a staff member said payroll errors had left at least one employee unpaid for a holiday and asked for a new liaison to handle payroll for the utilities supervisor. The council moved and seconded to change payroll liaisons and subsequently appointed Joe (last name not specified in the record) to be the liaison for the supervisor’s timesheet.
The presiding officer emphasized that once time cards are approved they “don't get changed” and said the council will honor current policies while the executive-session review proceeds. The board also discussed inviting staff whose pay is relevant to the executive session to attend so they can answer questions about hours and pay.
What happens next: the executive session is scheduled March 5 at 4:30 p.m.; the council said any personnel actions requiring formal public record will follow after that meeting.
The dispute began when a staff member said she had “blacked out the previous weeks on the time card” to make it easier for the clerk to sign. Council members said the redactions prevented proper review. “When you blacked it out, I wasn't able to see anything,” a council member said during the meeting.
Council members and staff debated whether vacation and holiday pay count as time worked when calculating overtime. The presiding officer noted the town’s personnel manual contains inconsistent language and asked staff to prepare written clarifications; he recommended using the existing manual language as the town’s current policy until it is revised.
Multiple speakers urged that allegations of improper edits to time cards be handled privately. A council member called for an executive session to discuss employee-specific compensation and personnel matters. The board set an executive session for Thursday, March 5, at 4:30 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 6 p.m.
During public comment a staff member said payroll errors had left at least one employee unpaid for a holiday and asked for a new liaison to handle payroll for the utilities supervisor. The council moved and seconded to change payroll liaisons and subsequently appointed Joe (last name not specified in the record) to be the liaison for the supervisor’s timesheet.
The presiding officer emphasized that once time cards are approved they “don't get changed” and said the council will honor current policies while the executive-session review proceeds. The board also discussed inviting staff whose pay is relevant to the executive session to attend so they can answer questions about hours and pay.
What happens next: the executive session is scheduled March 5 at 4:30 p.m.; the council said any personnel actions requiring formal public record will follow after that meeting.
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