Fiscal Court discusses sheriff’s incentive pay, training workload and staffing; asks for cost details before budget vote

McCracken County commissioners and the sheriff engaged in an extended May 12 discussion about revamping incentive pay for deputies who hold instructor or special-duty roles, the workload of training and its effect on patrol staffing, and whether the county needs to hire additional deputies.

The sheriff told the court the department currently provides incentives for roles such as canine handlers, firearms instructors and a small set of other duties, but that his proposal would expand and reorganize ad pays to reward a broader set of competencies tied to training and specialized functions. "We've started that concept...the canine officer has lots of extra training and duties...we compensate that," the sheriff said. He described current ad pays as modest (typically under $1 per hour) but said the sheriff’s office wants to better retain and attract deputies who take on extra responsibilities.

Court members pressed several operational questions: how much instructor time consumes staff hours, whether deputies would receive multiple stipends for multiple instructor duties, and whether adding incentives would be cheaper than hiring additional deputies. The sheriff said firearms instructors spend multiple weeks on-range work plus preparation time and that a deputy who performs multiple instructional roles could be eligible for multiple stipends; he also proposed the idea of a part‑time training deputy position to centralize and reduce load on sergeants and lieutenant-level staff.

Budget and next steps: commissioners asked the sheriff to provide a total cost estimate for the proposed incentive package and to identify caps and certification requirements that would limit abuse. The sheriff agreed to return with dollar figures before the budget first reading. Commissioners also flagged the need to document how longer on‑scene calls (such as mental‑health and addiction incidents) affect overall patrol staffing needs and said they want data on call durations and staffing impacts before deciding whether to add deputies.

Why it matters: the discussion touches both compensation policy and public safety resource planning. Commissioners indicated they were inclined to consider incentive pay adjustments and to explore a part‑time dedicated training position but were not yet persuaded that adding full-time deputies was warranted without further data. "We'll have to amend that pay ordinance to incorporate those changes," a county official said, noting any pay changes require ordinance amendment and budget impact analysis.