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Proposal to hire beyond funded positions and separate sworn pay scales drawn as tools to reduce overtime and improve retention
Summary
A commissioner proposed allowing the sheriffs office to recruit and train a pool of additional (unfunded) correctional and law-enforcement positions to shorten hiring pipelines and reduce overtime; committee members also discussed separate public-safety pay scales and the limits of local authority on property-tax rates.
A county commissioner proposed a staffing strategy to address chronic turnover in the sheriffs office: allow the department to recruit and train additional deputies and correctional officers beyond currently funded positions (a pool of unfunded PCNs) so more personnel are in the hiring pipeline and overtime demands are reduced.
The proposal would not increase appropriated dollars but would allow the sheriffs office to hire more trainees using existing salary authority and then return funds if the county becomes overstaffed. The commissioner described it as a way to "sharpen that pencil" so the county is not constantly paying excessive overtime when vacancies occur.
Sheriff's Office staff said the concept could help but warned about managing the pool and the administrative controls needed to prevent budgetary surprises. Committee members praised the creative thinking but asked for clear rules about when to stop hiring if economic conditions change.
Separately, members discussed whether the county should adopt a separate compensation structure for sworn public-safety employees to improve recruitment and retention. Staff noted that creating a special property-tax rate for public safety would require state legislative action; other local options include separate pay scales and benefit adjustments within the existing county structure.
The committee asked staff to analyze the unfunded-PCN proposal, including guardrails and reporting requirements, and to return with implementation options and potential fiscal risks.
