Story County sheriff requests civilian supervisor to move sworn sergeant to patrol

Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald asked the Story County Board during its Feb. 6 budget work session to fund a new civilian supervisor position in the sheriffs office that would allow the department to move a sworn support-services sergeant into field services.

Lieutenant Gary Backus told supervisors the civilian role would take on tasks now performed by a sworn sergeantcontracts, offender registry management, records requests, sheriff sales, civil process, condemnations, budgeting, inventory, internships, Citizens Academy coordination, and training coordinationduties that do not require a sworn officer. Backus and other staff said the change would address a 2021 staffing request for three deputies and one sergeant while limiting the countys payroll cost by using a civilian supervisor instead of adding another sworn sergeant.

Supervisors pushed back, noting countywide budget limits and urging department reorganization or reprioritization instead of a new ongoing personnel expense. One supervisor said the county has "lots more requests than we're gonna have money," and asked whether duties in the civilian job description could be redistributed. Sheriff's office leaders said they had reviewed reorganization options and were worried that removing the sergeant from support services without replacement would place an undue burden on remaining staff and weaken first-shift field supervision.

County staff packet materials cited salary-and-benefit differences between a sworn sergeant and a civilian supervisor but did not provide a single net-savings dollar figure in the public discussion. The board did not make a final funding decision at the meeting; supervisors said all departmental budgets remain subject to reductions as the board balances competing requests.

What happens next: the board will continue reviewing budgets and set any required reduction target; the sheriffs office will await that guidance before finalizing a personnel request.