The Board of County Commissioners voted to authorize the chair to execute a new employment agreement with County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson, effective Oct. 15, 2025, and approved a 2% base-salary increase for the manager effective with the first payroll period of 2026.

The action came after a short executive session convened under K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1) for the purpose of evaluating and discussing non-elected personnel. Vice Chair Janee Hanslick moved the employment-agreement authorization, which the board approved 7-0. The separate motion to raise the county manager’s base salary by 2% — to $355,468.98 annually — passed 5-2.

The new agreement, as described in the motion, includes a structured performance-evaluation process designed to align the county manager’s evaluation with the board’s priorities and strategic goals and authorizes the chair to finalize compensation and benefits. Vice Chair Janee Hanslick made the motion to authorize the chair to approve and execute the agreement; Commissioner Allen Brand seconded the motion. “I move the board authorize the chair to approve and execute a new employment agreement between the board and county manager Penny Postoak Ferguson, effective 10/15/2025, to include a structured performance evaluation process that aligns with the board's priorities and strategic goals and a compensation and benefits package as directed by the board to the chair,” Hanslick said during the meeting.

Commissioner Ashcraft voiced reservations about the form of the contract, saying he was “struggling a little bit with this contract because it is allowing for an evergreen contract versus a term contract, which is different than what we've done historically.” Ashcraft said that while he supported retaining the county manager, he preferred specific, measurable expectations and to tie pay adjustments to bonuses or one-time increases rather than automatically increasing base pay. “Over the years since I've served on this commission, I have resisted giving the county manager an automatic base increase,” Ashcraft said. He voted against the 2% base increase but voted to approve the employment agreement.

The motions and votes were recorded by roll call. The employment-agreement authorization passed unanimously (7-0). The salary increase passed on a 5-2 vote; Commissioners Ashcraft and Allen Brand voted no, and the other commissioners voted yes. The board recessed into executive session at 5:05 p.m. for a stated 10-minute period, with the county manager attending for part of the session, and reconvened in open session as recorded.

Implementation details contained in the motions: the agreement’s effective date is Oct. 15, 2025; the salary increase is effective with the first payroll period of 2026 and raises the annual base salary to $355,468.98. The chair was authorized to finalize and execute the compensation and benefits package on the board’s behalf.

No ordinance, budget appropriation language, or detailed benefit changes were included in the motions recorded in the public minutes; the board directed the chair to execute the agreement and finalize compensation and benefits consistent with the board’s directions.

The board adjourned following the votes.