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Shelby County committee agrees to continue full pay, benefits for injured Sgt. Samuel Lilly
Summary
The county's law-enforcement committee voted to recommend a resolution authorizing $118,720 from FY26 general funds to preserve Sergeant Samuel Lilly's full salary, health care and OJI coverage until retirement or death after the deputy was catastrophically injured on duty.
A Shelby County committee on Friday recommended that the full Board approve a resolution ensuring Sergeant Samuel Lilly will continue to receive his full salary, health care and on-the-job-injury (OJI) benefits until his retirement or death.
The measure, which will be sent to the full Board with a favorable recommendation, authorizes $118,720 from the FY26 general fund to cover Lilly's salary and benefits. Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner described Lilly's injuries as catastrophic after an on-duty traffic accident and said the county's risk-management office had notified the sheriff's office that OJI benefits would end on Dec. 1 without commission action. "This resolution assures that Sergeant Lilly will continue to receive his full salary health care and O.J.I. Coverage and all the other employee benefits until his retirement or death," Buckner told commissioners.
Buckner and Alicia Lindsey, the sheriff's chief administrative officer, said funds are available in the FY26 general fund and that future years' costs would be budgeted annually. Commissioners pressed for clarity and thanked sheriff's staff for coordinating with human resources and finance; several commissioners asked to be listed as co-sponsors on the item. The committee's vote was recorded in committee as unanimous among members present.
Why it matters: County leaders framed the move as an urgent, short-term remedy for a situation created by the way OJI benefits and benefits termination rules intersect with long recoveries. Supporters said the vote addresses an immediate financial gap and is intended to protect a severely injured deputy and his family while longer-term policy changes on medical/disability retirement are explored.
What comes next: The item will be considered by the full Board on Monday along with budget and administrative materials that commissioners requested be provided in advance.
