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Newton County approves eight new detention officer positions for sheriff's office
Summary
The Newton County Board of Commissioners approved eight new detention officer positions for the Newton County Sheriff's Office, at a projected total cost of $397,595.52 funded from contingency. The vote was unanimous, 5-0.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Jan. 6 to add eight new detention officer positions to the Newton County Sheriff's Office payroll.
Sheriff Ezell Brown summarized the operational demands and staffing history for the county Detention Center and said the additional posts are critical to daily operations. County financial staff presented an overview showing there are currently no vacant positions in the Detention Center and that similar requests were made in recent years (six positions in FY2022——FY2024; eight in FY2025). The board was given a personnel overview and a link to the presentation.
The county estimated the total cost for the eight positions at $397,595.52, which includes salary, benefits, FICA and retirement. The funding source for the positions was contingency funds. After discussion, Commissioner J.C. Henderson moved to approve the request and Commissioner Andre Cooper seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
Board members expressed support for adding staffing to the detention facility. The county will proceed with the personnel actions necessary to add the eight positions.
