Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sheriff Hiring Retention topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff tells McCook County commission retention, pay and residency challenge county hiring
Summary
Sheriff Mark Norris told commissioners the county pays training costs for deputies who later leave and that many recent hires do not live in McCook County; commissioners discussed review periods for raises and the difficulty of enforcing retention contracts.
Sheriff Mark Norris joined the Oct. 1 special meeting to review experiences with the county’s two newest deputies and broader retention issues.
Norris told the commission that "the county spends thousands of dollars on deputies that go to school to become certified and then leave," and he described the challenge of retaining officers in a rural county that is close to larger labor markets such as Sioux Falls. He also said many recent hires are not McCook County residents, which can hinder their connection to the local community.
HR consultant Michelle Stubkjaer noted HR was not consulted on pay rates for the new hires and asked that the commission sign the new-hire paperwork for payroll to reflect the rates that were used. Commissioners discussed whether the county could require a contract obligating employees to remain for a certain period; Stubkjaer advised such contracts are difficult to enforce and are sometimes bought out by other agencies. Commissioners discussed instituting review points at three and six months for hires late in the year to consider possible pay increases; no motion was made to adopt a formal review or raise schedule at the meeting.
The discussion did not result in formal policy changes; the commission later moved to executive session for personnel matters.
