Commissioners discuss converting an inmate labor post to a full‑time deputy road boss as sheriff seeks hires

Brown County commissioners heard from the sheriff about plans to employ a full‑time deputy road boss and the staffing implications for the county jail and inmate road crews.

The sheriff told the court there are applicants interested in roles that support both jail operations and road crews, but the department must fill vacancy chains (new hires in the jail before reassigning personnel to road work). He said the county can arm and train hires without a full license during a one‑year window and that academy attendance is usually a few weeks for required training.

Commissioners pressed for a timeline and asked whether the county could guarantee when hires would be in place; the sheriff said he could not give an exact date but that people were already interested and the department expects to add at least one additional person and ultimately have three staff supporting shared road duties.

One commissioner noted the position is already covered in the current budget and that no separate action was required by the court. Another asked staff to prepare a written address or order “station wide” so departments understand the staffing arrangement. The court did not pass a separate appropriation or formal hiring motion on the record during this discussion.

The exchange included operational clarifications about how many inmates are needed to field a work crew (one commissioner said “You got to have 8 inmates to get to a crew,” and the sheriff explained current inmate counts fluctuate). Commissioners and sheriff agreed to continue coordination while hiring proceeds.