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Sheriff urges pay matrix to retain experienced deputies amid recruitment squeeze
Summary
The county sheriff reported monthly activity and warned of worsening officer retention, urging the council to consider a phased pay matrix to keep deputies from leaving for higher pay in neighboring counties. The department’s data and a pay study will be reviewed ahead of the budget season.
The Orange County sheriff reported on May 21 that routine operations continue but that staffing strains are growing and could undermine service levels if experienced deputies continue to leave.
"Facing growing retention concerns at a time when staffing is already tight," said Mark, speaking on behalf of the sheriff’s office, arguing the department needs a sustainable pay structure to remain competitive with surrounding agencies. The sheriff earlier described recent outreach — an ice-cream social where staff distributed 50 gun locks for suicide-awareness efforts — and monthly operational figures including 100 papers served, 31 crash investigations, 10 criminal investigations, 14,177 miles traveled and 1,028 transports.
Mark and the sheriff outlined a proposed pay matrix that would reward longevity gradually over a roughly 20-year period and create pay separations by rank and responsibility. They said the intent is to avoid sudden payroll spikes while improving retention; presenters pointed to neighboring counties that offer substantially higher starting pay and sign-on incentives, which they said encourage deputies to leave the county for higher wages.
Council members acknowledged the staffing concerns and noted that budget season is approaching. The council asked for additional data to inform any compensation changes, including an annual summary of calls and a year-long call log for review during budget deliberations.
The sheriff’s office did not present a finalized ordinance or specific pay schedule to the council at the meeting; staff said the pay study and surrounding-county comparisons will be part of the materials prepared for the upcoming budget process. The council did not take formal action on compensation at the meeting.
