Davidson County deputies and supervisors press commissioners over pay compression; board seeks more data

Dozens of Davidson County Sheriff’s Office employees told the Board of Commissioners on June 5 that they are losing staff and morale to neighboring agencies and asked commissioners to correct pay compression and recognize prior law-enforcement experience in pay calculations.

The appeals came during the public-address portion and a later budget discussion, where sheriff’s personnel described long hours, on-the-job injuries and promotional pay that in some cases trails pay for deputies they supervise. County Manager Casey Smith outlined an approach to slot affected employees into correct pay steps and to raise starting pay for recruit classes, but the board deferred any decision and asked staff for more numbers and verification.

The issue matters because commissioners are drafting the county budget and must decide whether to allocate additional general-fund dollars now, phase increases over multiple years or ask voters for a revenue change. Staff said a full fix of countywide compression would cost millions; more limited corrections aimed at deputies and detention officers would cost…