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Sheriff Reeden asks York County Council for 10% pay increase to retain deputies
Summary
Sheriff Reeden told the York County Council workshop that a proposed 10% pay increase for sworn staff would make starting pay competitive, address recruitment and detention-center shortages and that he will personally forgo the raise to make the case to the public.
Sheriff Reeden told the York County Council at a workshop that his office needs a 10% pay increase for sworn staff to bring starting pay in line with comparable agencies and reduce turnover.
Reeden, introduced by the chair, said York County had been ‘‘averaging between $8 to $10,000 below’’ comparable agencies on starting pay and described recent recruitment efforts: the county currently has 12 people at the academy and a large incoming class that will reduce the shortfall on paper to three or four vacancies once graduates are sworn. He said the 10% proposal — combined with last year’s 5% — would ‘‘put our people completely whole and on par where we’re going to remain competitive.’’
The sheriff stressed the human and operational implications of understaffing in the detention center, saying the county had been ‘‘35, 36 short for 4 years’’ and outlining steps taken to improve continuity, including promotions, shift alignments and planned medical-staff positions that would remove medication administration from corrections staff.
‘‘We have one priority and that’s to protect the county,’’ Reeden said, framing the compensation request as intended to match expectations and accountability for officers. He also told council he would personally decline the pay increase, saying, ‘‘the only sworn person at the sheriff’s office not receive this raise is me,’’ so he could better defend the decision to constituents.
Council members at the workshop offered support and asked staff to compile comparative pay charts and vacancy data for the Monday meeting when the item appears on the agenda. Staff and the sheriff said the proposed 10% increase could be funded without a tax increase, and management and HR were credited for work on the proposal.
What it means: If the council adopts the sheriff’s proposal on Monday, the sheriff’s office expects recruitment pressure to ease because starting pay would be within roughly $1,000–$2,000 of regional peers rather than the previously cited $8,000–$10,000 gap. Council members also signaled interest in monitoring detention-center vacancy trends as capital and staffing changes at the Moss Justice Center proceed.
Next steps: The pay proposal and supporting materials are on the Monday council agenda for further consideration; staff said they will bring comparative charts and vacancy breakdowns to that meeting.
