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Sheriff's Office seeks to convert vacant patrol deputy post into lieutenant to improve supervision
Summary
A sheriff's office representative asked commissioners to convert an unfilled patrol deputy position into a lieutenant post, saying the change would cost about $21,000 this year and enable formal two-year rotations to broaden supervisory experience.
Jason Drakeley of the Mason County Sheriff's Office asked the commission to convert a vacant patrol deputy position into a lieutenant post to improve supervision and even out workloads across patrol and the civil division.
Drakeley told commissioners the conversion is intended as a structural change rather than a simple title increase. "This isn't just to give somebody a title," he said, describing added responsibilities and the need for supervision in an unfilled patrol role. He estimated the change would add about $21,000 to this year's costs and said the office can absorb that amount within the current budget, but that costs will need review in subsequent budget cycles.
Commissioners pressed on pay and overtime calculations. Drakeley said deputies' fully loaded pay with overtime averages about $150,000, sergeants about $185,000, and that lieutenants receive a base of $171,000 and do not receive overtime. One commissioner said she needed more time to review numbers and flagged a higher estimate of about $41,000 for longer-term costs; another said the change could ultimately save money by reducing overtime and smoothing staffing.
No formal vote was taken; commissioners asked staff and HR to continue civil-service review and to return with more detailed budget figures during the upcoming budget process.
