Freestone County Commissioners Court discussed establishing a countywide guideline for administrative time (also described in the meeting as "employee appreciation" or PTO-style hours) to make time-off treatment consistent across elected offices and departments.

One commissioner asked the court to set a specific allotment per employee so that officeholders would apply the time uniformly. The county auditor/staff presented reports on 2024 admin-time use and noted that officeholders currently have discretion on whether and how to grant that time to employees. Commissioners discussed a possible 24-hour allotment (equivalent cited as three days) to address holiday coverage and other uses.

During the discussion, participants raised bookkeeping and payroll implications, distinctions between comp time and PTO, and how admin time should be reported and monitored. Some speakers said that while the commissioners set benefits, individual elected officeholders retain operational control of when staff take the time. Commissioners also discussed the impact on offices where staffing needs (dispatch, jail) make it difficult to let workers take time during the day, and the risk that inconsistent application could look inequitable.

No final policy or ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Commissioners asked to review usage reports and consider guidelines that would set expectations without removing statutory authority from elected officeholders. The court discussed maintaining tracking reports so that commissioners could identify offices that consistently use more admin time than others.