Commissioners approve one deputy hire, deny second amid budget shortfall concerns

The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 10 approved one hiring-freeze exception for a sheriff’s deputy and denied a second exception in a 2-1 vote, citing county budget constraints and the need to spread reductions across departments.

Commissioner Clayton moved to approve one deputy position and deny the second; Commissioner Kimball seconded the motion and it passed 2-1. Commissioner Fulmer voted against the split decision and at one point said the county’s recent wage increases for deputies contributed materially to current budget pressures.

The sheriff argued filling both vacancies immediately would reduce operational risk and noted it can take more than a year from hire to full independent patrol status because of academy and field-training timelines. The sheriff also said the office frequently runs with reduced staffing and that prolonged understaffing increases safety and liability risks. Commissioners acknowledged those operational concerns but said they are balancing staffing needs against a shortfall in county finances and previous hiring and pay increases.

Commissioner Kimball and Commissioner Clayton said they supported filling one position now, reserving the second for later depending on budget developments; Commissioner Fulmer said the board previously increased deputy staffing and pay and that the county must now temper hiring to match revenue.

The board’s motion was recorded as: "I move to approve a hiring freeze exception for 1 deputy position and deny the hiring freeze exception for the second position." The vote was 2 to 1 in favor.

Staff and the sheriff will proceed with hiring for the approved position; the second vacancy will remain unfilled pending future budget review.