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Carroll County delegation reviews proposed three-year sheriffs contract with pay increases for deputies and dispatchers
Summary
At a delegation meeting, county officials discussed a proposed three-year contract for the sheriffs office that would raise detail and hourly pay for deputies and dispatchers and add an insurance-waiver option; commissioners asked for a detailed cost breakdown before approving budget changes.
Carroll Countys delegation heard details of a proposed three-year contract for the sheriffs office that would run from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2028, and include several pay increases and new contract provisions.
County staff member Sarah described the agreement as "slated to be a 3 year contract ending April 1, 25 ending March 31, 20 28." She outlined a change to the detail (private-duty) rate, which would rise to $90 per hour with $65 per hour paid to the deputy on the detail. The contract would also adjust base pay: deputies with more than 10 years would receive a 14% increase; deputies with fewer than 10 years would receive a 20% increase. For dispatchers, the proposal sets 14% for more than 10 years, 20% for under 10 years, and 18% for the last three hires, according to the presentation to the delegation.
Sheriffs office representatives and delegation members framed the changes as a response to recruitment and retention challenges. "We are starting to lose deputies which haven't happened before ... For pay reasons," a sheriff's office representative said during discussion. Delegation members noted competing offers from smaller towns and cited recent state and regional raises that left local pay behind.
The meeting also covered other contract provisions. Staff described a newly available insurance-waiver option in the contract intended to align with other county employee arrangements; the waiver would require proof of outside coverage before eligibility. Delegation members asked whether deputies took part in Social Security (they do not) and noted pension contributions on increased wages would add roughly 32% to 33% in additional employer costs.
Delegation members pressed for more detail before committing budget authority. Judge Scott said he needed two items before he could approve the contract: an itemized chart listing each deputy, their current hourly wage and years of service, and a calculation of the total first-year cost to the operating budget, including pension contributions. The delegation asked finance staff and the sheriff to supply that breakout and indicated an expectation of receiving it in time to consider budget adjustments in early January.
Sheriffs office negotiators told the delegation that the union gave up some proposed retention bonuses in exchange for larger percentage increases, and that longevity pay adjustments (a separate, small per-hour longevity increase) were part of the negotiated package. Delegation members emphasized they were not rejecting the proposal but would not vote on budget changes until they had the requested cost details.
The delegation did not take a final vote on the contract at the meeting; members agreed to review the detailed payroll and pension numbers before deciding whether to allocate budget funds to cover the increases.
