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After having to pay more than $200,000 for comp time to county employees within the last year and a half, the Clark County Fiscal Court approved pay-outs and raises for two employees, while eliminating future accumulations.

Thursday, the court approved payouts to Clark County Animal Shelter Director Adreanna Wills of $52,924.83 for 2,930.5 hours of accumulated comp time and to Road Foreman Allan Curtis of $3,846. 24 for 144 hours of comp time.

Clark County Judge-Executive Chris Pace said county employees were allowed, under the previous administration, to build up comp time without limit, despite state statute limiting comp time to 240 hours for full-time employees.

“We have to pay our debts folks,” Pace said. “The thing that frustrates me wasn’t that they got comp time, but there was so much comp time it was like a salary hidden from the public.”

The court voted 5-2 to approve an order awarding the two payments and adding annual raises for Wills and Curtis as future compensation for comp time, which they can not accumulate. For Wills, the raise will be $5,824.40 and $7,910.40 annually for Curtis.

Magistrate Greg Elkins said it costs the county less to pay for their comp time and raises now than it would to pay for the accumulated comp time at retirement. In Wills’ case, he said the payout would be approximately $89,000 at retirement.

“That’s how I got on board with paying this amount,” he said, adding it was not the employees’ fault. “If we’re going to pay them $90,000 a year, let’s pay them $90,000 a year.”

The order said the county has had to pay $150,000 to four former employees for accumulated comp time, which includes retirement and taxes.

The court also amended its administrative code to be in line with state statute limiting comp time to 240 hours for full-time employees.

Magistrates Travis Thompson and Robert Blanton voted against the order. Thompson said he thought Curtis’ salary was already high.

“When it comes to my needs, they’re not met by the road supervisor,” Thompson said.

Blanton wanted to vote separately on matters for Wills and Curtis, but was voted down.

Following about 30 minutes in closed session, the court voted unanimously to hire Alicia Mayabb as the new county treasurer at a salary of $60,000 annually.

Mayabb will be the county’s third treasurer this year, following the court’s dismissal of Jerry Madden in the spring and the resignation of Shea Champ this summer.

Mayabb will start following the Sept. 9 fiscal court meeting, and interim treasurer Cheryl Wills will return to her role as county finance officer.

“We had several more-than-qualified candidates,” Pace said. “We had an exceptional candidate we chose as treasurer tonight.”

In other action, the court:

— approved salary payments for the Board of Assessment Appeal members.

— approved the first reading of an ordinance amendment to allow possession of firearms in county parks.

— approved an order prohibiting negative spending.

— accepted bids to purchase two two-axle dump trucks for the county road department.

— approved the first reading of a occupational tax refund to M&S Machining.

— approved an interlocal agreement with Workforce Development.

— approved a pay increase for administrative assistant Deana Pack

— approved hiring Caleb Chancellor as a temporary heavy equipment operator for the road department.

— changed Ian Skinner and Kenneth Poole from volunteer firefighter to firefighter III.

— hired Steven Asbury as a part-time firefighter III.