Commissioner urges 10% countywide pay raise and voter ballot; sheriff warns attrition will continue without raises

A commissioner told the July 25 workshop that county employees deserve a 10% across‑the‑board pay increase and proposed asking voters to approve a higher tax rate to fund raises; sheriff’s officials said pay disparities are already forcing deputies to leave for higher pay in nearby jurisdictions.

Commissioner 11 (identified in the transcript by that speaker number) said the court should consider a 10% general pay increase that would lift starting sheriff deputy pay from the current figure the speaker cited — about $62,700 — to roughly $68,090 and proposed placing a voter‑approved tax‑rate question on the November ballot to cover the cost. “I think we should give the entire county a 10% raise,” the commissioner said, and outlined an election timeline: call the election by Aug. 18, adopt a rate by Aug. 25, and hold the election on Nov. 4 if the court wishes to proceed.

Lieutenant Gary Roberts of the sheriff’s office told the court the department is experiencing turnover and recruitment problems tied to pay competition. Roberts said market comparisons show Hood County lagging peer agencies by thousands of dollars at both starting and top pay steps and urged commissioners to adopt a market‑based matrix and address overtime and comp‑time balances. “We’re hiring. Please come help us,” Roberts said; he described multiple vacancies and warned the county would lose more deputies if pay was not addressed.

Commissioners and staff debated options. Some members said limited statutory authority (the state’s voter‑approved tax‑rate procedures and the local 3.5% limit for certain actions) constrains how much the county can raise by resolution alone, making an election necessary for larger increases. The court discussed alternative or interim steps — targeted step increases, overtime funding, comp‑time payouts, and phased approaches — and asked the auditor to model scenarios based on newly certified property values.

Members of the public who signed up for comment were split: several speakers with law enforcement backgrounds urged quicker action and said officer departures degrade public safety response capacity; other residents objected to broad raises and urged closer attention to leadership, overtime funding, or targeted incentives rather than an across‑the‑board approach.

No formal pay plan or ordinance was adopted at the workshop; the court instructed staff to prepare fiscal scenarios and return with options that weigh recruitment needs, tax‑rate limits, and budget impacts before any final action.