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Sheriff seeks 23 new positions, larger budget as county braces for continued growth
Summary
Sheriff Mike Robertson told commissioners the department needs 23 new positions, including 13 deputies, as part of a FY2025 request that would raise the sheriff's office budget from roughly $20.8 million to about $25.8 million.
Sheriff Mike Robertson outlined a multi-year staffing and capital plan for the sheriff’s office April 15, asking the Board of Commissioners to consider a FY2025 budget that includes 23 new positions and a range of technology and infrastructure upgrades.
The sheriff’s office presented fiscal-year figures showing the department’s FY2024 budget at about $20.8 million across patrol, detention and animal/resource-center operations. The FY2025 request the sheriff’s staff presented totaled about $25.79 million, which the sheriff said represented both catch-up and continued growth for a rapidly expanding county.
Budget staff described the FY2025 request as including 23 new positions across divisions; 13 of those would be sworn deputy positions. The sheriff’s office outlined the first-year “upfront” cost to add one deputy at roughly $165,000, a figure that includes salary and benefits (about $80,000), an agency-ready marked vehicle (about $60,000) and uniform/equipment/communications items (about $25,000). The sheriff’s office also listed capital and equipment asks: an upgrade of body- and dash-camera infrastructure to a cloud-based WatchGuard system, which staff estimated would carry a six-figure implementation cost, and an expansion of the animal center’s in-house surgery suite to reduce recurring contract-vet costs.
Robertson framed the request as a multi-year effort to “catch up and keep up” with population growth, saying the department will return with a multi-year staffing plan that spreads hiring and capital needs across several budget cycles. Commissioners asked about recruitment timelines, funding sources, the impact on detention staffing and alternatives such as grant funding; the sheriff said grant revenue is limited and that many of the requested positions are ongoing needs that require recurring county funding.
Commission staff and commissioners noted broader fiscal constraints and the need to prioritize between public safety, schools and other county obligations. The sheriff said he would continue to refine a multiyear plan and work with county staff on phased solutions.
No appropriation or final vote on the sheriff’s requests occurred at the meeting; the presentation was part of the county’s FY2025 budget review process.
