The Worth County sheriff reported a steep staffing decline and urged the board to consider pay and retention measures to stabilize the department.

"In the last 5 years, I've lost 26 people," Speaker 4 said in a presentation to the board, describing hiring and retention problems that have increased overtime and training costs. The sheriff said recruiting certified deputies takes months and cited academy costs near $40,000 per recruit as a factor in overall replacement expense.

Supervisors compared pay scales with neighboring counties (Winnebago, Hancock, Cerro Gordo) and discussed options including mileage/standby radius adjustments, modest pay increases targeted at deputies, and nonmonetary perks such as approving car take-home policies within a defined radius. Board members described wanting to be competitive without pushing the county budget beyond capacity; they suggested phased or targeted increases aimed at retention rather than large across-the-board raises.

The discussion included operational context: rural counties often lose certified officers to higher-paying jurisdictions, and some counties pay different ranges for deputies, sheriffs and support staff. Supervisors asked the sheriff to provide comparative data and potential phased compensation plans to evaluate the budgetary impact before making final decisions.

The board did not adopt a compensation change at the meeting but indicated the issue would factor into budget planning and potential multi-year strategies to retain employees.