Sheriff’s office leaders asked the commissioners to approve a multi-part salary package that would target staffing shortages and retention problems across the agency.

The four elements presented were: (1) raise detention nursing pay by moving nurses and the nursing supervisor up one pay step, (2) a 3 percent across-the-board adjustment for employees in addition to any Cola, (3) targeted “career officer” raises for deputies, corporals and sergeants to narrow a 19 percent pay gap that exists between sergeant and lieutenant ranks, and (4) an expanded TCOLE proficiency-certificate stipend that would raise monthly stipends and extend certificate pay to telecommunicators and jailers.

The sheriff’s fiscal estimate for the full package ranged from about $1.5 million (for three of the elements) up to roughly $1.68 million if the certificate-pay expansion is also included. County staff warned that adopting the full package would require a materially higher tax rate, with one estimate put in the meeting materials showing the tax rate would need to be roughly 7.3–7.6 percent to support the whole plan.

Representatives of the Potter County Law Enforcement Association — Jonathan Gates (president) and Jacob Powell (secretary‑treasurer) — spoke in support, offering data from their internal study showing voluntary separations and pay gaps of roughly 10–23 percent compared with regional comparators. Gates said 81 of 146 voluntary separations analyzed since 2020 were for better-paying jobs elsewhere and warned that continuing to fall behind on pay would raise long-term overtime, training and recruitment costs.

Union representatives also highlighted an estimated $40,664 per replacement cost for a new patrol hire, which they said increases the fiscal case for retention-focused pay changes.

Commissioners did not vote on the sheriff’s package that day; they requested detailed line‑item totals and tax‑rate scenarios before deciding whether to restore any of the sheriff’s requests to the proposed budget.

Why it matters: The sheriff argued pay moves are essential to preserving patrol and jail staffing and to avoiding a higher long-term cost of turnover and overtime. Commissioners repeatedly expressed support for first responders but stressed the need for equitable treatment across county departments and cautioned that recurring salary commitments require offsetting recurring revenue.