Marion County’s personnel committee discussed a proposed carryover of an existing stipend for certified law-enforcement personnel during its Aug. 28 meeting. The draft loaned language says: “All full-time certified law enforcement officers employed by the Marion County Sheriff's Department shall receive additional compensation of $300 per certificate,” with the payment made annually beginning Jan. 1 following receipt and requiring certificate filing with payroll.

Committee members observed the language was present in the county’s old handbook and that staff had inserted it in the draft personnel manual. Members asked for clarification on where the provision should appear, how the county verifies certification, and whether park patrol or Corps of Engineers details and overtime are handled separately. Staff explained the payment is an annual stipend intended to consolidate payout timing and reduce ad hoc payments during the year; members asked HR to confirm that certificates must be submitted to HR/payroll and to specify the exact verification process and effective payment date.

The committee did not take a formal vote but instructed staff to confirm administrative procedures and to keep language that the payment is not a guaranteed legal entitlement but a county-provided fringe benefit. The county also noted that park patrol and other special duty pay are handled through separate payroll processes and are not the same as the certificate stipend.

Why it matters: The stipend affects compensation for certified officers and requires clear administrative rules to ensure consistent, auditable payments and to avoid confusion between stipend, overtime and special-duty pay.