After heated debate, court directs overtime adjustments and asks departments to justify comp‑time needs

A long discussion before the court examined the county’s practice of permitting comp time as an alternative to paid overtime, with department heads and elected officials describing operational differences. The district attorney and sheriff described scenarios where last‑minute workloads and trials make comp time operationally necessary, while some commissioners criticized comp time as an easy button that hides true overtime costs and reduces transparency.

The court approved item 51 — an overtime adjustment for maintenance that reflects the removal of the comp‑time bucket — and directed department heads who wish to retain comp time for operational reasons to make a case to the court. Commissioners asked for weekly reporting on comp time usage to improve oversight.