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Probation officials urge pay adjustments as caseloads rise and recruitment lags
Summary
Gilbert Taylor, probation supervisor, told the committee the department budgeted salary-grade increases for 2025 to retain and recruit officers amid low test taker numbers and heavier caseloads; he said only seven people took the last probation test and active caseloads have risen from about 850 to roughly 1,200.
Gilbert Taylor, a probation official, told the Audit & Control Committee that probation faces persistent staffing and training hurdles and that the department has included salary-grade increases in the 2025 budget to improve recruitment and retention. "We had 7 people take the test," Taylor said, noting that the Peace Officer Academy requirements and lengthy training windows limit who can be hired and immediately deployed.
Taylor described growing responsibilities for probation officers and rising caseloads: he said the department’s active caseloads dropped to about 850 after COVID but are now "a little over 1,200," excluding pretrial-release cases he estimated at 1,500–2,000 annually. He told the committee that while the proposed reallocation would help hire one or two officers, it is not a long-term fix for structural staffing shortages.
Committee members asked where probation loses candidates; Taylor cited higher pay in neighboring Erie County and the time and family constraints of long training courses. He also said the county negotiates training arrangements to reduce travel and lodging costs and has agreements to send staff to Erie County for parts of the academy to limit expenses.
The discussion remained at the committee level (no formal vote was taken). County leaders will consider the requested salary changes during budget deliberations and monitor applicant counts and academy throughput in the coming year.
Next steps: budget review during legislative budget process and continued recruitment outreach and inter-county training arrangements.
