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Commissioners weigh temporary versus permanent FTE to address staffing shortfall in juvenile detention
Summary
Mason County commissioners discussed creating a permanent full-time juvenile detention officer to replace a long-term leave, with staff recommending a permanent hire to reduce overtime but commissioners insisting on budget safeguards if the FTE is continued beyond the current year.
A request to create a permanent full-time position for the juvenile detention center drew extended discussion on June 24 as commissioners weighed operational need, hiring feasibility and long-term budget effects.
Why it matters: County staff said a long-term employee is out and the facility's staffing level has dropped below the county's operational target. Staff said the juvenile detention center routinely runs at an average daily population of roughly 2.5 juveniles in 2025 but has experienced periods that require three staff on duty because of safety concerns. The department said it needs nine full-time detention officers to manage a safe 24/7 operation and that recruiting temporary staff has proven difficult.
A staff member asked the board to create a permanent full-time equivalent (FTE) position to reduce overtime and stabilize staffing. "It is creating real management issues...it is merely a position to keep our overtime down, keep our manager from going nuts," the staff member said. Staff estimated the cost of adding the position mid-year (example figure cited in discussion) and offered options to fund it using vacancy savings and leave-related pay returns.
Commissioners expressed mixed views. Several said they were sympathetic to the operational need and would support adding a position through the end of the year but reluctant to approve a permanent increase without budgetary assurances. One commissioner said they would be willing to approve a permanent position if the budget explicitly included language that the county's FTE count would be reduced by one in the next budget cycle if necessary; another preferred creating a permanent position but removing it in the next budget if circumstances allowed.
Staff proposed a compromise: advertise or create the position with a July 1 effective date while structuring 2026 budget notes so the county could remove or unfund the FTE if required. Staff said hiring temporary employees has been difficult and that making the position permanent increases the odds of successful recruitment; they also offered to submit the 2026 budget request for the position with $0 in recurring dollars while covering short-term salary via vacancies and leave payouts.
Next steps: Commissioners signaled conditional support to proceed for the remainder of the year with clear budget-year conditions; staff will bring the hiring/advertising paperwork and any necessary contract or CBA (collective bargaining agreement) reviews back to the board. Several commissioners requested that any new permanent position be accompanied by a clear budget note limiting future funding without board approval.
