Sheriff urges pay change to avoid compression; discusses MOUs, canine and regional air support arrangements

(Note: the sheriff’s name is not given in the transcript; he is referenced by title.)

The sheriff told Spokane County commissioners the salaries of command staff and some deputies have begun to outpace the sheriff’s salary and proposed indexing the sheriff’s pay to be a fixed percentage above the under-sheriff to avoid future “compression.” He discussed operational requests and recent agreements the office seeks to finalize.

Salary proposal and budget effects: the sheriff explained that a pattern over the last 7–8 years has been for commissioned-officer salaries to outpace the sheriff’s pay. He proposed tying the sheriff’s salary to the under-sheriff’s pay, recommending a 5.6% premium above the under-sheriff (the board discussed a 5% alternative). The sheriff said one under-sheriff is retiring and he intends to return that inspector position to a deputy rank, which county staff estimated would yield approximately $65,000 in net savings to the county over three years.

Commissioner discussion and direction: commissioners examined alternatives (keeping a percent of the prosecuting attorney’s salary, a fixed percentage, or routing the item to the county salary review commission) and expressed concern about tying an elected official’s pay directly to union bargaining outcomes. Several commissioners discussed a potential compromise: set the sheriff at 5% above under-sheriff pay for a multi-year period, then refer the matter to the county salary review commission for a longer-term decision. The transcript records no formal board vote; commissioners agreed to explore a 5% above under-sheriff approach for the next four years and then present the item to the salary review commission in 2028.

Operational items and interlocal agreements: the sheriff briefed the board on several operational items: - Mental-health field response team: staff completed a competitive selection and plan to enter negotiations with applicants for the subcontract that would operate under a WOSFET grant pending award in June. - Spokane Valley license-plate readers: the City of Spokane Valley plans to place ~26 license-plate readers; the sheriff’s office will operate and maintain them via the real-time crime center and the city will reimburse approximately $468,291 over the term. - K-9 Hattie: an agreement with Seattle Police Department will reimburse up to $7,500 for travel and training when the canine is used in multi-jurisdictional investigations. - Regional air support and helicopter maintenance: the sheriff explained his office adopted a “power-by-the-hour” maintenance program for the new Bell 505 helicopter and related engine support (SAFRAN), which spreads maintenance costs over time and flattens budget volatility. Staff estimated the combined program might average $100,000–$125,000 per year over five years depending on flight hours; the helicopter was expected to arrive mid-May.

Ending: commissioners and county staff asked for formal details and written contract terms before final approvals; no final action was recorded in the transcript.