The Garfield County sheriff’s office asked the Board of County Commissioners to add five part‑time positions to its headcount to preserve interns and provide vacation and vacancy coverage.

Kathy (Sheriff’s Office representative) told the commissioners the department historically used interns and part‑time staff to fill duties; with current hiring and shifting staffing patterns, she said the office needs five part‑time positions so it can place newly hired staff and retain interns who return seasonally.

Jamaica Watts, Garfield County finance director, presented numbers on vacancy savings and estimated the fiscal impact. She said the county carried an average of roughly 15 vacancies in the first half of the year, representing about $2.2 million in budgeted salary savings. Watts estimated the annualized cost of the five requested part‑time positions at about $462,000 (including benefits at a high‑end estimate) but said adding them midyear could likely be covered with existing vacancy savings for 2025. She cautioned that allowing the five part‑time positions to persist and unfreezing six previously frozen positions next year would increase long‑term cost exposure; the six frozen positions were valued at about $876,000 annually.

Commissioners expressed support for exploring the staffing change but asked to delay a final decision until Commissioner Samson could participate. They asked staff to provide further detail on overtime savings and whether part‑time positions can be legally restricted to part‑time hours to avoid automatic conversion or future benefit obligations.

Why it matters: Sheriff’s staffing and vacancy management affect public safety services and the county budget; the request seeks to convert informal part‑time coverage into formal headcount without a 2025 supplement by using vacancy savings.

What’s next: Staff will return with additional details on overtime savings and the legal status of restricted part‑time appointments; commissioners deferred a final vote until the full board can consider the financing implications.