LAWTON — Comanche County’s essential employees who were on the payroll during the pandemic will receive hazard pay starting in December.
The Board of Comanche County Commissioners voted 3-0 Monday to set aside $1.36 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide premium pay for all essential employees who were on the county’s payroll between April 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021, and are still working for the county. The county defines essential employees as workers whose jobs require regular interactions with the public or co-workers, as well as those who typically handle items that other people have touched.
The $1.36 million includes $49,840 for employees of the Comanche County Agricultural and Industrial Exposition and Fair Public Trust Authority, as well as $381,099.59 for employees of the Comanche County Facilities Authority. The remaining funds – approximately $929,385 – will provide premium pay for essential employees who work directly for the county.
The ARPA allows local governments to provide premium pay for essential workers, people who performed crucial tasks during the pandemic, said David Floyd, an attorney with the Floyd Law Firm in Norman. The firm is advising the county on appropriate uses of ARPA funds, which were part of the federal government’s pandemic relief efforts.
“As we all remember, during the pandemic, a lot of things shut down,” Floyd said. “There was a lot of disruption in our ordinary, day-to-day life. But county government is one of those things that can’t shut down.”
He said the county had to perform certain tasks designed to maintain residents’ health and safety and preserve their quality of life. Therefore, the workers who carried out those assignments were eligible for hazard pay.
“This is a way of recognizing and acknowledging the contributions that they made to Comanche County and to make sure that we can continue to operate and do the things that need to be done,” Floyd said. “That’s what this plan does.”
Commission Chairman Alvin Cargill said Tuesday that eligible workers will receive their bonus payments around Dec. 15. He noted that the bonuses are for one time only.
“We’ve totaled all the hours and we’ve calculated the pay, and all the essential employees will receive a one-time check for those hours,” he said. “And then once it’s done, that’s over.”
The money for the premium pay will come out of the county’s share of ARPA funds, estimated at $23 million. The county has received about $12.5 million to date and will receive the rest sometime next year.