Bonner County board directs HR to pay out PTO accrued beyond 480-hour cap and amend policy 700

The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted May 26 to instruct human resources and payroll to pay the straight‑time value of paid time off (PTO) earned after employees reach the county’s 480‑hour CAT cap, and to direct staff to amend policy 700 (the Paid Time Off program) to reflect the change.

The motion — offered during the board’s regular meeting — passed on a roll‑call vote after public comment from law enforcement and county staff. Sheriff Daryl Wheeler urged passage, saying the current practice has caused employees to “lose months and months of overtime” when accrued hours drop off. Sgt. Levi Shiel of the county detention division told the board the sheriff’s office has 30 employees “at risk of losing their PTO” under the current administration of the cap.

Proponents argued the change would correct an inequity in how accruals are administered and reduce costly overtime. The commissioner who introduced the motion said HR and legal had been contacted and that roughly 48 county employees across departments are at or near the 480‑hour cap. The same commissioner noted jail staffing pressures mean the county often pays overtime (time‑and‑a‑half) to cover shifts instead of allowing staff to use accrued time.

Opponents and questions focused on whether current policy language already prohibits accrual beyond stated maximums and on the county’s payroll/accounting system (Munis), which currently records hours that drop off as if they were used. Board members pressed for clarity on whether the Munis system could be configured to show payouts correctly rather than marking accrued hours as taken; supporters said they did not want accounting system limits to prevent correcting the personnel outcome for employees.

The final motion directed HR and payroll to implement the straight‑time payout for hours accrued after the 480‑hour CAT cap and directed staff to amend policy 700 to align policy language and administrative practice. The board indicated it will continue reviewing the broader policy in stages to address related items (for example, the CAT age‑55 cash‑out reference noted in policy).