(a) There is established an employee incentive program for the classified employees of Houston County, excluding those employees considered to be department heads. The intent of the incentive program is to promote cost consciousness among county employees resulting in substantial savings to the taxpayers of Houston County and to reward county employees for their ideas which may bring about substantiated savings. Under this program, cash awards may be made to employees whose adopted suggestions will result in substantial savings in county operations.
(b) Employees desirous of submitting ideas for consideration shall forward their ideas to their respective department heads. Department heads shall apply in writing to the Houston County Administrator no later than 10 days after submission of the idea by the employee. Savings shall be tracked for a period of one year after the date of implementation. Substantiated savings shall be certified by both the department head and county administrator.
(c) After certification, the employee shall receive an incentive bonus check to be paid from the General Fund of Houston County in the amount of 10 percent of the total certified savings, not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) for only the first year after implementation. The incentive bonus check shall be paid in the next pay period after certification of the savings.