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Clay County discussion on sheriff's office pay structure paused; commissioners table changes to consult attorney
Summary
Commissioners discussed a proposed reorganization and pay-structure change in the sheriff's office — replacing an administrative captain with a patrol lieutenant, promoting an investigator, and reducing patrol sergeant slots — but tabled the item for closed-session consultation with legal counsel.
The Clay County Commissioners Court discussed proposed changes to the 2024–25 salary structure for the sheriff's office but tabled a final decision until after a closed-session consultation with the county attorney.
At agenda item 9, the court considered modifications that the sheriff presented: converting the administrative captain position to a patrol lieutenant, promoting an investigator (Norris) into the lieutenant role, reducing patrol sergeant slots from two to one, and adding a deputy-3 patrol slot. The sheriff said the reorganization “does not change the total number of employees,” and that he had budgeted the salary difference in his current-year salary line and expected SB22 funds to help cover costs.
Commissioners and staff discussed specific pay figures and how the changes would affect next year’s budget. The sheriff and budget staff referenced several numbers in the record: an investigator base shown as $53,05 (transcript read as “53 05”), a proposed lieutenant base adjusted to $55,000, and an estimated possible net increase to next year’s budget that ranged from about $1,785 up to $6,145 depending on how a deputy is hired. One commissioner characterized the larger figure as effectively giving raises in the middle of the year unless next year’s budget is adjusted.
There was back-and-forth clarification about which spreadsheet version would be posted publicly and whether the IT coordinator line showed the correct amount; staff representatives said the posted sheet should be corrected and would be double-checked.
A motion to modify the salary structure was made by Red and seconded by Jack. Later in the discussion, a motion was made to table the item until the court could consult with its attorney in closed session; that tabling motion was seconded and the court moved into executive session.
No final changes were approved in open session; the transcript records the decision to table the item for legal consultation.
The court also asked for a shared copy of the salary spreadsheet so all members would be looking at the same version before taking final action.
