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Commissioners discuss certificate‑pay plan for sheriff's office after staff flags $1,500 shortfall
Summary
Staff told the court that the FY26 certificate‑pay allocation for the sheriff's office (enforcement $159,000; corrections $62,400) would be about $1,500 over current budget estimates; commissioners discussed creating a single certificate‑pay line item, awarding pay at budget adoption, and whether the elected sheriff should receive certificate pay.
County staff presented details of a planned FY26 certificate‑pay program for the sheriff's office: the enforcement division was allocated $159,000 and the corrections division $62,400 in the adopted budget. Staff reported that the most recent eligibility list of officers eligible for certificate pay would cost about $1,500 more than the amount budgeted.
Staff outlined two options: (1) do a budget amendment now to cover the $1,500 shortfall (e.g., move money from contingency), or (2) change policy to award certificate pay only at annual budget adoption so mid‑year certificate awards do not cause unbudgeted expenditures. Several commissioners favored creating a dedicated certificate‑pay line item in next year's budget to reduce frequent intra‑year amendments and recommended the current year’s small shortfall be addressed by a one‑time budget amendment.
A related question arose about whether elected officials (the sheriff) should receive certificate pay; staff said the sheriff historically had not been paid under certificate pay and that including the sheriff would require specific court action. Commissioners directed staff to bring back a budget amendment for the $1,500 variance and to prepare options for a dedicated certificate‑pay line item and clear policy on eligibility timing.
