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Lancaster sheriff urges board to cover state pay raises, dispatcher regrade and extra deputies
Summary
Sheriff outlined large budget increases driven by state-mandated raises, a 6% dispatcher regrade and higher overtime tied to staffing shortages and mental-health transports; asked board to consider one extra patrol deputy and one jail deputy and a $500 across‑the‑board step for deputies not covered by regrade.
Sheriff (unnamed), speaking to the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors during a March 27 budget work session, said actions by the General Assembly that take effect July 1 will increase the sheriff’s office payroll costs and asked the board to absorb the changes in the county budget.
The sheriff said the General Assembly and governor approved a 3% across‑the‑board pay raise for staff plus a 1.5% bonus and a separate 6% regrade for dispatchers. "The general assembly also stated that 6% regrade is on top of the 3% pay raise," he said, noting the county employs eight of the office’s 10 dispatchers and the regrade applies to those positions. He told supervisors starting pay for dispatchers is roughly $40,000 and the lowest paid dispatcher is paid about $40,500.
Why it matters: The sheriff said the combination of the 3% raise, the 1.5% bonus and the dispatcher regrade will be a significant addition to the office budget. He asked the board to consider at least a $500 step increase for all employees not covered by the dispatcher regrade if the board approves the state raises and bonus. He also asked for one additional patrol deputy and one additional jail deputy to relieve chronic overtime.
The sheriff described rising overtime, saying the office is "trending approximately $10,000 per month in overtime" because of shift extensions, arrests, and extended transports for mental‑health patients. He said deputies sometimes must wait with patients for hours or days to find a bed and on one occasion transported a patient nearly to the Tennessee line, an approximately 7½‑hour one‑way drive. The sheriff also told the board the department was down staff at times last year because of resignations, administrative leave during an investigation and FMLA leaves.
Board reaction: Supervisors pressed for a closer look at the salary, overtime and part‑time line items. One supervisor described the package as a "half‑million increase" and a roughly 13% jump over last year and asked staff to return with more detail before final decisions. The board agreed to discuss the sheriff’s requests again at the end of the meeting and scheduled another budget session focused on the sheriff’s line items for April 10.
Budget line details presented by the sheriff: among other line items he asked for modest increases to postage, fuel, uniforms and vehicle replacement amounts; a $15,000 increase to computer equipment for licensing and four desktop replacements; and funding to cover increased academy dues and the community services board contribution.
Context and constraints: The sheriff repeatedly framed the regrade and raises as actions adopted by the state legislature and the governor; he stressed the county does not control the state actions and noted uncertainty about what the state compensation board will fund for locally managed positions. He also discussed recruitment competition from the state police and other agencies.
Ending: Supervisors did not take final action on the sheriff’s specific requests at the March 27 meeting; they agreed to revisit the line items and to carry the item forward for more detailed review at the April 10 budget meeting.
