W.Va. county changes overtime policy because of gas industry
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WEST UNION, W.Va. – Doddridge County changed the way overtime is paid to County Clerk’s Office employees who work extended hours to handle an influx of oil and gas industry representatives researching land records.
A state audit found an outside party in the oil and gas industry paid the overtime for these employees.
County officials changed the overtime pay arrangement following a West Virginia Ethics Commission opinion involving a similar issue in Tyler County. The county now pays the overtime, using money contributed to the County Commission by oil and gas companies, County Commissioner Greg Robinson told The Exponent Telegram.
The companies’ donations are permissible and go into the budget to be used as the county sees fit. The county does not solicit the donations and does not bill for the overtime, Robinson said.
“That’s the way we have structured it,” he said.
The Tyler County opinion stemmed from an inquiry received by the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, he said.
“There was an inquiry by Tyler County that questioned the issue of keeping the courthouse open. We had been practicing it prior to the letter that went to the West Virginia attorney general. The ruling was that it was legal, but the opinion was the county commission or the clerk could not bill for this time,” Robinson said.
State auditors also said county officials did not determine, or request an advisory opinion from the ethics commission to determine, whether the overtime payments would violate the state’s Ethics Act.
County officials said in a written response to the audit that they were not aware that advisory opinion was necessary.
Auditors also said the general public and certain oil and gas company representatives were denied access to the records room during the extended hours. In their response, county officials said they never denied access to the general public but they did not publish the extended hours.
Robinson said this information is now made public and anyone is allowed to use the record room during the extended hours.