Loudon County approves higher raises for sheriff’s employees and adds patrol vehicles after budget debate

Loudon County commissioners on June 30 amended and approved the county’s 2025–26 budget to raise most employees in the sheriff’s office by $4,500 and to add two patrol vehicles to the fleet funding, after a sustained public appeal from deputies and extended debate among commissioners.

The changes were adopted as amendments to the budget committee’s recommendation and were incorporated into the final appropriation resolution the commission approved later in the meeting. The pay change excludes the elected sheriff. The commission also approved two promotions in the sheriff’s office that will receive $6,000 each in place of other proposed increases; combined with the across-the-board increases the promoted positions will see their total adjustments reach the amounts discussed during the meeting.

The sheriff’s office and rank-and-file deputies had urged commissioners to restore a $4,500 pay increase the budget committee initially recommended and that later was trimmed amid countywide equity concerns. Sergeant Cole Rogers of the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office told commissioners the $4,500 request was based on workload, mandatory overtime and competing pay pressures. “It’s not just about the amount, it’s about the principle,” Rogers said, arguing that rising insurance costs erase much of the smaller raise that remained in the proposal.

Why it matters: The amendments reallocate roughly $224,523 in additional annual cost to raise the sheriff’s department employees (the commission heard that figure as the incremental cost for the $1,500 add-on beyond the previously recommended $3,000), and they direct extra capital funding for patrol vehicle replacement. Commissioners repeatedly framed the vote as weighing public-safety needs against countywide fairness and constrained resources.

What commissioners approved and how: Commissioner Quillen offered the amendment to restore the full $4,500 to sheriff’s department employees other than the sheriff and to preserve two jail promotions at $6,000 each; Commissioner Jenkins seconded the motion. The roll-call tally for that amendment was recorded as 9–1 in favor (one commissioner opposed). After a separate motion to add patrol vehicles the commission adjusted the approved vehicle total: staff said five vehicles had been included in the budget; commissioners approved two additional units for a total of seven for the sheriff’s department this year, a vote that carried 8–2.

The commission and staff discussed procurement timing and lifecycle concerns during debate. Sheriff’s Office staff told commissioners the department currently operates about 70 regularly used vehicles; many were described as carrying more than 180,000 miles, with several models averaging 200,000+ miles and some approaching 300,000. Commissioners and staff said a fully equipped patrol vehicle costs about $70,000; that figure was used to estimate capital needs.

Commissioners also clarified how the increases would be implemented. County staff reported the $4,500 COLA would be applied to all employees in the sheriff’s department and corrections staff (excluding the sheriff), while the two promoted positions would receive the promotion adjustment and net to $6,000 as described during the motion. Staff estimated the incremental cost of the amendment (the $1,500 component for the sheriff’s department and jail positions) at approximately $224,523 including fixed costs.

What was not decided: Commissioners acknowledged the vehicle funding will require identifying one-time balances or shifting funds in the general fund; no dedicated ongoing tax increase was approved. Several commissioners stressed that future budgets would need a multi-year plan to sustain a replacement cycle of roughly seven to ten vehicles annually.

Ending: With the amendments approved, the commission completed adoption of the fiscal-year appropriation resolution and the tax levy resolution (no increase to the tax rate was adopted). County staff said they will begin vehicle procurements and implement the pay adjustments with effective dates and funding reconciliations to be handled in upcoming payroll and capital procurement processes.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment to raise sheriff’s department employees (excluding the sheriff) to $4,500 and set two jail promotions at $6,000 each: motion by Commissioner Quillen; second by Commissioner Jenkins; recorded roll-call result: 9 yes, 1 no; outcome: approved.

- Increase sheriff vehicle units by two (from 5 in the original proposal to 7 total in this year’s procurement): motion followed by second; recorded roll-call result: 8 yes, 2 no; outcome: approved.

- Final adoption of the fiscal year 2025–26 appropriation resolution (with above amendments): motion carried; outcome: approved.

- Tax levy resolution for FY2025–26 (no change to the tax rate): recorded roll-call result: 8 yes, 2 no; outcome: approved.

What speakers said (selected quotations)

- Sergeant Cole Rogers, Loudon County Sheriff’s Office: “It’s not just about the amount, it’s about the principle.”

- Commissioner (opponent): Commissioners opposing the amendment repeatedly cited cross-department fairness and the county’s obligation to consider the entire payroll population when allocating limited funds.

Key documents and next steps: County staff will reconcile the one-time capital funding and identify specific balances to cover the immediate vehicle purchases; payroll staff will publish implementation details and effective dates for the approved raises. The commission directed staff to bring procurement timelines and an estimated multi-year vehicle-replacement plan back to a future meeting.