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Patrick County sheriff says office is second-busiest among rural Virginia counties, urges pay step schedule
Summary
Sheriff Dan Smith told the board that call volume has increased and that Patrick County's sheriff's office ranks 2nd busiest among 40 rural offices in the state; he said payroll funding is a challenge and asked the board to consider a pay step schedule to improve recruitment and retention.
Sheriff Dan Smith reported to the Patrick County Board on March 26, 2026 that the office's call volume has increased and that the county is ranked the second‑busiest rural sheriff's office out of 40 in the Commonwealth. Smith told the board that funding for payroll has been a persistent challenge and said he would like the board to consider implementing a pay step schedule.
Smith framed the staffing and compensation request in the context of operational capacity: higher call volume strains scheduling and can affect response times if positions go unfilled. The sheriff's comments were part of a series of constitutional‑officer reports the board received during its strategic planning retreat.
