Llano County changes LCSO pay structure to comply with federal law
The Llano County Commissioners Court approved changes to the pay period for Sheriff’s Office staff during its Nov. 28 meeting to bring the county into compliance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. It had been out of compliance since at least April 2018.
LCSO staff have been working 182.5-hour work periods divided among 12 monthly paychecks, according to county-approved changes in 2018. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act states that law enforcement must work seven-, 14-, or 28-day cycles with 171-hour work periods per 28 days.
After the county implements the changes, the annual income for Sheriff’s Office staff will remain the same, but paychecks will be smaller and come more frequently. This will affect deputies, jailers, and investigators.
“We’ve got to be in compliance with the law,” County Judge Ron Cunningham told DailyTrib.com after the meeting.
Cunningham, who was not in office at the time of the April 2018 changes, does not know why they were made but became aware of them in August 2022. After a lengthy executive session during the Nov. 28 meeting, commissioners emerged and voted on the changes to bring the county into compliance with the FLSA.
The county has not yet determined how it will implement the new pay structure but will hold workshops with LCSO staff to explain the changes and find the best solutions, Cunningham said.
“It’s going to affect monthly salaries, but annual salaries and benefits will not be affected,” he said. “We want it to be done in the way that least impacts those that the changes will affect.”
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