Sheriff's foundation offers to fund five deputies; county delays contract vote for legal review

Representatives of a private Sheriff's Foundation told the commission they are prepared to fund the salaries and benefits for five deputy positions, then asked the board to establish the positions so the sheriff's office can start advertising and recruiting.

A foundation representative explained the planned model: the foundation would underwrite base pay, payroll taxes and benefits on a monthly basis for each hire and commit initially to a three-year funding cycle. "The agreement that's been presented to you covers pay scale...Once that's done, then the hiring will start," the speaker said. The foundation estimated an initial ballpark cost of roughly $150,000 per deputy for year one (salary, benefits, equipment), with some recurring costs falling in later years.

Sheriff Moe told the board the additional positions would address understaffing and officer burnout; "It's gonna help a lot with burnout of the deputies...and response times for our citizens," he said. He also said new deputies would allow more focused traffic and highway patrols.

However, the county prosecutor's office raised concerns about how the foundation agreement was drafted, warning that certain provisions could be interpreted as giving donors influence over hiring, pay scales or duties. Commissioners and counsel asked for revisions and coordination with the prosecutor's office on liability, accounting, and the form of donations. One commissioner proposed allowing the sheriff to begin advertising positions immediately while making final contract approval conditional on prosecutor review; another commissioner asked the foundation to work with legal staff before the next meeting.

The board moved action item 11.1 (the foundation agreement) to the next Wednesday meeting for further review. The sheriff and foundation left with direction to coordinate with the prosecutor and county staff on accounting and contractual language before formal execution.

Why it matters: private funding for sworn positions raises procedural and legal questions about public employment control, transparency and long-term funding commitments. Commissioners want a vetted agreement that preserves county hiring authority and ensures clear fiscal accountability.

Next steps: Prosecutor and staff will review the foundation proposal and proposed contract language; the board will revisit the agreement at the scheduled Wednesday meeting; the sheriff may begin advertising subject to final procedural direction from the board.