Grant County Council approves one‑year trial for Jonesboro‑funded deputy

The Grant County Council voted to enter a one‑year pilot partnership with the town of Jonesboro that will place one Grant County deputy in Jonesboro funded by the town, the council decided on Wednesday.

Council members approved an addendum to the county’s salary ordinance that authorizes the temporary deputy position, contingent on execution of a contract between Jonesboro and the county and agreement with the sheriff’s union. The motion, amended to limit the program to one deputy and include a one‑year sundown clause, passed on a roll call vote with all members present voting in favor.

Supporters said the arrangement would increase patrol presence and shorten response times in Jonesboro without permanently expanding county payroll. “The more deputies you have out on the street, the quicker response time you’re gonna have,” Sheriff Fidel Garcia told the council as he urged approval. Council members and the sheriff said Jonesboro had offered to cover much of the cost and to provide vehicles.

Opponents and cautious members raised liability and scalability concerns. One council member asked whether the county would assume legal liability for arrests made by deputies operating inside Jonesboro and warned the arrangement could prompt similar requests from other towns. Council discussion also flagged technical contract elements — including an asset transfer exhibit and pay adjustments — that will have to be amended before the agreement is executed.

The approved motion requires the county and Jonesboro to finalize an addendum that specifies vehicle ownership, pay adjustments and union notice. Council also directed staff to ensure the contract reflects that the pilot is reversible: if Jonesboro stops funding the position, the county may end the assignment.

Council members did not set a precise dollar figure in the ordinance vote; during the discussion several speakers referenced Jonesboro’s prior offers (one council member cited $170,000 as an example of prior sums discussed) and the mayor of Jonesboro said his town had budgeted and could scale the number of officers offered. The council recorded the vote after confirming the contract and union approvals would be prerequisites to hiring.

The vote followed multiple rounds of questions from council members about coverage maps, vehicle availability and whether the county’s existing district assignments would change. The sheriff and Jonesboro’s mayor said Jonesboro planned to supply vehicles and that the county would absorb staffing logistics if the contract is signed.