Public-safety leaders warn rising benefits costs and low pay hamper recruitment and retention

A public-safety leader told the First Response Services Committee the department has received cost-of-living raises of about 2.5% over the past two years while insurance costs have risen and effectively reduced take-home pay. "The last 2 years, we got a 2 and a half percent increase...our insurance went up 1.6 last year. So the ones that pay an insurance, they only got point 9% of the rates," the speaker said.

Members compared starting pay and benefits with neighboring counties and departments. The speaker said nearby jurisdictions start new hires $5 to $9 an hour higher and that the jail in another county starts correction officers at about $25 an hour, while local entry-level pay was described as "a little over $16." The committee heard that some employees pay about $1,200 a month for family insurance in this county compared with about $240 a month in a neighboring county, a gap cited as a driver of turnover.

The speaker said recruitment is increasingly difficult because candidates must pass clean-record checks, psychological exams and drug testing; several local recruits have not passed those screens. The committee discussed the operational cost of continued turnover: more overtime, continued training burdens, and difficulty maintaining staffed shifts.

Committee members said steps and structured pay programs previously planned were not fully implemented in recent years and suggested the committee re-evaluate compensation and benefits in upcoming budget discussion windows. No formal budget decisions were made in the meeting transcript.