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Sheriff asks for eight patrol deputies, dispatchers and pay-structure changes as hiring lags
Summary
Sheriff Authier told the committee the sheriff’s office is operating short of authorized patrol staffing and requested adding eight patrol deputies, two dispatchers, a security deputy and reclassifications; he said pay-scale adjustments (including lateral pay and step increases) are needed to recruit and retain deputies against regional competition.
Sheriff Authier presented the sheriff's office personnel requests and staffing analysis, telling the committee the office has authorized 37 patrol positions but has been operating with roughly 29 on the roster and about 21 regularly available for patrol due to training, FMLA and workers' comp absences. "So if you look at a patrol shift... we may have 29 people on the roster, but we're only working with 21 deputies on patrol," he said, explaining the gap between authorized positions and active patrol coverage.
The sheriff requested several changes: downgrade one patrol corporal to deputy and move two positions back from contracts to patrol (to increase patrol headcount), upgrade a corporal to sergeant to provide supervisory capacity, add two dispatchers and one security deputy for magnetometer operations, and request eight additional patrol deputies to raise minimum staffing levels. He estimated step-in-grade and COLA costs and asked the committee to consider pay adjustments such as lateral-pay recognition and sign-on bonuses that peer agencies offer to compete for applicants. Committee members pressed for prioritized lists and cost estimates if all requests cannot be funded at once.
