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Sheriff asks commissioners for four new patrol deputies in 2026 budget
Summary
Sheriff Chad Gay requested four full‑time patrol deputy positions in the county’s proposed 2026 budget, citing staffing shortfalls and comparisons with peer jurisdictions. The first‑year cost was listed at $746,186 including vehicles and equipment, with an estimated recurring cost of about $402,000 per year.
Sheriff Chad Gay told the Harvey County Board of Commissioners that his 2026 budget includes a supplemental request to add four full‑time patrol deputies to the staff, with the package including vehicles and equipment.
Gay’s budget submission lists a first‑year cost of $746,186 for the four deputies and estimates a recurring annual cost of about $402,000. The sheriff provided documents comparing local staffing levels with other jurisdictions to support the request and said the patrol division was “minimally staffed 44% of the time” in 2024, contributing to higher overtime and operational strain.
The proposal includes line items for uniforms, equipment, vehicles, MDT subscriptions and other recurring technology and subscription costs; the submission did not include a dedicated funding source for the new positions. Gay told commissioners he could discuss the supporting analyses and staffing‑per‑population comparisons at follow‑up meetings.
Commissioners did not act on the request at the special session; they agreed to consider additional budget work sessions during their June 3 meeting to continue reviewing departmental requests.
