Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff warns of jail staffing crisis as deputies leave for higher pay; commission hears consultant comparisons
Summary
Sheriff Kenny Christopher told Benton County commissioners that low starting pay is causing rapid turnover in the jail, with 16 employees on staff less than a year; a consultant said neighboring counties start pay higher than Benton County.
Sheriff Kenny Christopher told the Benton County Board of Commissioners on June 21, 2021, that the county’s jail is experiencing staff turnover and low starting pay. Christopher said 16 current employees have been on the job less than a year and warned that continued departures could force the county to house inmates in other jurisdictions.
Bob Bass of TCI, a consultant who addressed the board, said surrounding counties offer higher starting pay; he cited Decatur County’s starting rate of $13.98 compared with Benton County’s $11.02, noting that some neighboring counties’ starting pay equals or exceeds Benton County deputies’ top pay.
Sheriff Christopher asked the commission to consider the sheriff’s budget proposal that includes raises to improve recruitment and retention. County Mayor Brett Lashlee said the county had been working on jail pay issues for about three years and said the commission had worked to make adjustments.
There is no recorded vote on a specific sheriff-pay motion at the June 21 session. The minutes show later, separate budget transfers and line-item approvals for sheriff-related accounts (for example, budgeting $4,324.16 in revenues and transfers for payroll and equipment) but no formal adoption of a revised compensation schedule at this meeting.
