Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nash County OKs $50 hourly pay to staff jail shifts amid staffing shortage
Summary
The Nash County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 to authorize a temporary $50-per-hour flat rate to incentivize sheriff’s office personnel to work shifts inside the county detention center through April 13, 2025, while hiring continues. Supporters said it fills an urgent safety gap; opponents warned the flat rate risks long-term cost pressure.
The Nash County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a temporary $50-per-hour flat rate for sheriff’s office personnel who pick up shifts in the county detention center, a stopgap measure the sheriff said is needed while the office works to fill open positions.
Sheriff Stone told commissioners the jail population has climbed and staffing is thin: “we would like to initiate a $50 an hour for the sheriff's office personnel to work inside the jail during the shortage,” he said, adding the department would fund the pay from lapsed salary rather than asking for additional budget authority.
The board approved the measure on a 6-1 vote after extended discussion. Commissioner Wilkins moved the measure; Commissioner Bellfield seconded. Commissioner Davis said he could not support it, arguing a flat rate sets a precedent the county should avoid: “I simply can't support this request… A flat rate is a path that we should not start down,” he said. The board vote count was recorded as 6 in favor, 1 opposed.
Why it matters: commissioners and the sheriff framed the action as a temporary safety measure to maintain staffing while recruitment continues. Sheriff Stone described repeated assaults on detention staff and a sprawling facility footprint that increases response times inside the jail. He told the board the jail population had risen to about 226 inmates and that the facility’s nominal capacity is 261, though that number depends on housing compatibility; the sheriff also said 16 positions are currently open.
Supporters said the $50 flat rate is intended to incentivize existing deputies and other sheriff's office employees to pick up shifts in the detention center during the hiring lull without creating additional county budget pressure because the sheriff intends to pay from lapsed salary. “It was close to half a million dollars of lapsed salary we had, and this is not even gonna be half of that,” the sheriff said when asked about funding.
Opponents and cautious commissioners asked for more analysis. Commissioner Davis said the board had faced a similar request previously and declined it, and he urged more research on total cost and legal implications before creating a new pay policy. The county manager told the board the county had received legal advice indicating the pay approach was permissible.
Board direction and timeline: the sheriff proposed the $50 rate for use only through April 13, 2025, tied to the pay period and the recruitment pipeline. Multiple commissioners said they expect the sheriff’s office to continue hiring and to report back on recruitment progress before the temporary rate expires.
What was not decided: the action was a temporary pay authorization, not a change to the department’s base pay scale or to county-wide pay policy. Commissioners asked for and received assurances that the sheriff would attempt to fill vacancies and that the pay would use existing, lapsed salary funds; no new recurring county appropriation was approved.
Votes and procedure: Commissioner Wilkins moved the motion and Commissioner Bellfield seconded it. After a roll-call style call for “yes” and “no,” the chairman announced the motion passed 6 to 1. Commissioner Davis stated he would oppose the request.
