Commissioners alter meeting dates Payroll schedule forces change

Submitted by Canton1 on
By David Barber Senior Reporter

Following a request from the Van Zandt County treasurer’s office, the VZC Commissioners Court agreed to change the dates of their regular meetings.

Previously, the commissioners court had been meeting on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. The commissioners court will now meet every other Wednesday. The starting time will remain at 9 a.m. The new regular meeting schedule began Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Each year, the commissioners court is required to set the date and time of each regular meeting for the new fiscal year prior to the Oct. 1 start date of the new fiscal year.

“We are now required for you, the commissioners, to approve the payroll prior to me issuing any payroll checks or sending the direct deposit to the bank to be dispersed,” said VZC Treasurer Teri Pruitt. “In order to do this, we are either going to have to change our payroll timing or change the meeting schedule of the commissioners’ court. If you meet on Wednesday mornings instead of Tuesday mornings, you will have 26 regular meetings instead of 24.”

“Payroll cannot be paid until it is presented to the commissioners’ court,” remarked VZC Judge Don Kirkpatrick.

“That is correct,” said Pruitt. “The direct deposits have to go out to the bank 48 hours prior to payday which means they have to go out by noon Wednesday before payday on Friday. I receive time sheets on Monday morning and I cannot have them ready until Wednesday morning which means I cannot have them ready for a Tuesday morning commissioners meeting.”

Pruitt said that she is trying to enforce a state law that has been in the books for a number of years. “Rockwall County was doing this like we were and they requested an opinion from the state attorney general’s office which basically said that the way it has been done before is not going to work now. Continuing to meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month is not going to work for us.”

To read the full article, subscribe to the Canton Herald or pick up a copy from one of our vendors.