Sheriff seeks longevity pay and stipends to boost retention; commission directs staff to include proposal in interim budget

San Juan County’s sheriff asked commissioners to add longevity pay and related stipends to the FY26 budget to help retain deputies and make the county more competitive with surrounding agencies.

Sheriff Kenner told the commission that other regional agencies are offering longevity and shift-differential pay that increases with years of service, and he said those incentives influence where recruits choose to work. Kenner described a multi-tier longevity plan that would add incremental hourly supplements tied to years of service and requested $419,356.22 as the estimated fiscal impact to implement the proposed longevity and stipend package.

“The state police here make $8 an hour more starting than my deputies do,” Kenner said, describing regional pay disparities and the pressure that creates for local departments. He said the county historically has stayed competitive but now faces recruiting challenges as other agencies increase base pay and add longevity differentials.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about which employees would be affected; the sheriff said the longevity structure would begin to apply after the 3- to 4-year mark and scale up in tiers by years of service. County finance staff told the commission the county has capacity in FY26 to cover the recurring cost and that future years would be managed with reduced debt service as bonds are paid.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the sheriff's item but provided direction: staff should build the longevity and stipend changes into the May 20 interim budget packet for formal consideration.