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Lake County sheriff warns cuts would reduce deputies to about 7.5, asks commissioners to spare positions
Summary
Sheriff Daniel Tague told the Lake County Board of Commissioners on July 1 that the office is down 8.5 positions since November 2024 and that proposed cuts would leave about 7.5 deputies; commissioners discussed using contractor inspectors and other cuts to restore deputy funding.
Sheriff Daniel Tague told the Lake County Board of Commissioners during a July 1 work session that the county sheriff’s office is sharply short-staffed and that proposed budget cuts would leave "about 7.5 deputies." He said the office had lost 8.5 positions since November 2024 and that officials were "hoping to not need to lay off any staff."
The staffing shortfall prompted a discussion of where to find savings. Chair Mark Albertson suggested the county contract out building inspection work and use the fees to fund deputy positions, noting the average inspector salary scale is about $72,000 while "Lake County was paying $148,000" for inspectors and an additional $6,000 was paid as a travel stipend. Albertson said savings could help fund one or two deputies; he also proposed cuts in Juvenile Corrections as another source of funds.
Treasurer Melanie Lasley told the board there were three open positions financed through General Fund dollars and that two of those had been cut to balance the current budget. Administrative Assistant Heather Eversole and Sheriff Tague reviewed staffing numbers and an organizational chart showing the department’s planned structure if cuts proceed.
Vice-Chair Barry Shullanberger asked for clarification about what the sheriff was requesting and questioned supervisory configurations; Sheriff Tague said leadership requires placing deputies into supervisory roles so they can develop as leaders. Sheriff Tague also said court filing revenues were affected because deputies were too busy to complete paperwork, which reduced fee income.
Lakeview Town Councilman Marty Collins said the town hoped to fund one deputy by the start of the year, underscoring local interest in restoring patrol capacity. Tague said he would return to the board with additional materials and that no formal action was taken at the work session. The discussion will move to the Regular Session for any formal budget or staffing decisions.
