Stained with grease, oil and tar, George Thompson’s boots have taken a beating over the past year.

But he won’t have to wear them much longer.

Next year, the county will pay for boots for Thompson and the 72 other Denton County road workers who will be able trade in a voucher for a pair of Red Wing boots.

Workers would not be required to leave the boots at work or return them after they leave the job.

On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved an exception to the purchasing policy to allow the county to issue the vouchers.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Cynthia White said she brought the item before the court after her crew raised the issue with her several times, and she felt the boots should be provided as protective gear.

“That’s one of the things that’s been a big issue for employees,” White said. “They go through at least two pairs of boots a year. We would just buy them boots once a year.”

Prior to Tuesday’s vote, road and bridge employees had to purchase their own boots, because county policy does not allow for the purchasing of personal items such as boots and hats.

The county does, however, purchase uniforms for road and bridge employees, and other county workers. Precinct 4 Commissioner Andy Eads said boots would become part of the safety gear for road and bridge employees’ uniforms.

As the news spread to the crews, they were excited by the idea that their next boots would be paid for by the county. Workers said they pay anywhere from $50 to $100 for a new pair of boots, and most said they go through two pairs a year.

“You get grease or oil on them, and it just eats them up,” Thompson said. “The cheap ones last just as long as the expensive ones.”

The vouchers for the new boots would be good for up to $150. White said it was the least the county could do for workers who have a tough job and do not get paid well. The average salary for a worker in the department is $35,424.

White said one reason workers asked for boots was because jail inmates wear county-bought boots while working as trusties for road and bridge crews. However, the inmates do not get to keep the boots, and they are reissued.

Because of that policy, Mike Burton, the administrative foreman, said he wanted to know whether workers would be allowed to wear the boots on the weekend or be required to leave them at work. Eads and White assured him that workers could wear the boots while not working.

Workers would not be required to return the boots to the county after they quit or are fired from their jobs, Burton said.

“They’ve got themselves a new pair of boots,” Burton said.

White said commissioners had not discussed any procedures for employees who receive boots, then leave after only a short time in the department.

“We haven’t really discussed that,” she said. “That is not really an issue that has come up.”

Tuesday afternoon, Burton said he wasn’t aware of the vote until he walked into the road and bridge complex and started to hear the chatter.

“Apparently, the word has already gotten out,” he said. “They should have done it earlier so the guys could have had them before Christmas.”

DAN X. McGRAW can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is dmcgraw@dentonrc.com .