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Pennington County approves 3% market pay adjustment for certified law enforcement
Summary
The Pennington County Board of Commissioners approved a 3% market adjustment for certified law enforcement positions, effective July 5, citing recruitment pressure from neighboring agencies and internal budget offsets the sheriff said would avoid a midyear supplement.
The Pennington County Board of Commissioners voted on June 3 to approve a 3% market pay adjustment for certified law enforcement positions, effective July 5.
Sheriff Brian Mueller told the board he first raised the issue during last year’s budget process and returned with a proposal to use internal budget adjustments rather than request new county funding. “I wanted to figure out a way to pay for this without coming in and having to ask for extra money upfront,” he said.
Why it matters: commissioners said recruitment and retention problems — including staff leaving for the Rapid City Police Department — motivated action. Mueller showed data comparing starting wages across neighboring agencies and said about half of the county’s deputy 1 and deputy 2 positions earn less than Rapid City’s starting wage. Commissioners pressed for further details about turnover rates, which budget lines would absorb costs (sheriff’s office, jail, detox), and whether the calculation included payroll taxes and retirement costs.
What the board decided: after a round of questions about comparables, budget impact and implementation, Commissioner Dur made a motion for a 3% market adjustment (not labeled a COLA); the board approved the motion by voice vote. The chair and staff said implementation specifics — including whether the figures shown include payroll taxes and retirement contributions — will be provided to the commission before payroll changes are processed.
Costs and caveats: the sheriff said the department expects to pay the adjustment from within its current budget through cuts and revenue changes and does not plan a supplemental appropriation. County staff agreed to return with a detailed cost calculation showing the adjustment’s full fiscal impact.
Next steps: county payroll staff will update the wage matrix and confirm how the change will be applied to municipal contract positions. The sheriff said municipalities’ cost increases were budgeted as part of the process.
