Douglas County employees will get a belated Christmas present from their employers next month.

County commissioners Monday approved an additional 1 percent cost-of-living pay increase for employees because of increased gasoline and heating costs. When commissioners approved the county’s 2006 budget earlier this year, they had agreed to a 2 percent cost-of-living increase.

“If we had known then what we know now, I think we would have done that,” Commissioner Bob Johnson said. “I think I can live with 3 (percent). I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Commissioners Charles Jones and Jere McElhaney agreed.

“If we increase the COLA, that’s fine with me,” McElhaney said. “I just want to know what we’re going to go without.”

The additional money will amount to $145,316, which will be added to the $290,632 already budgeted for a 2 percent cost of living increase. Adding the 1 percent increase is within the margin of error of what the budget normally has, County Administrator Craig Weinaug said. Normally the county has an ending fund balance of a few hundred thousand dollars more than what was projected, he said.

The 3 percent cost-of-living increase will take effect in January, Assistant County Administrator Pam Madl said. She recommended some type of increase be made because the average cost of gasoline from January to October amounted to a 23 percent increase from the previous year while average natural gas and electricity increased 15 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively.

Increased heating and gasoline costs also could affect the county’s operating budget, but so far no additional funds have been allocated, Weinaug said. Department heads can make adjustments within their own budgets to compensate and if they need more money as 2006 progresses they can approach commissioners.

Commissioners said they would like a review of the county’s practice of paying longevity and merit-pay increases before the budgeting process begins next year.

County employees receive a merit-pay increase based on performance evaluations in their department. Longevity pay is based on how long someone has been an employee.

Commissioners also approved an agreement with the city of Eudora to continue housing the city’s prisoners in the Douglas County Jail in 2006.

The city and the county split the cost of housing Eudora’s prisoners. In 2005 the rate charged to Eudora was $44.56 per day, which is half the county’s per-inmate average cost over the previous three years. The county will notify Eudora officials of a rate for 2006 by March 1.

Jones said he would like to see a review of the rates charged to cities for inmate housing and a comparison with what other counties are charging in similar situations.

Most city prisoners are released right after they are booked into the jail to await the outcome of their court cases, Weinaug said.