County eyes 6% pay hike, SO salary changes

Jun. 21—A proposal to increase pay for county deputies and correctional officers won preliminary approval last week from the county's budget panel.

The plan, along with a 6% across-the-board increase to the county's salary schedule was approved by the budget committee, with an estimated cost of $1 million.

However, the panel has not yet reviewed final budget figures for revenue and expenses and could reconsider its decision later in the budget process. It also held off on approving hiring three new positions for the county's fire department.

"Is that going to raise taxes?" asked Joe Sherrill, 6th District commissioner.

"We will go back and crunch the numbers and generate some better numbers for you to look at, the effect on expenditures, the effect on fund balance, if there would be a need for additional revenue sources — those are decisions you'll need to make before we finalize that," said Nathan Brock, county finance director.

"These wouldn't be set in stone," explained Terry Lowe, 5th District commissioner. "Once Nathan gets our figures, if it comes out more than what we can stand as far as our taxes, we can come back and adjust it."

The county's salary consultant, Larry Russell with Organizational Management Group of Knoxville, recommended the county adopt the 6% increase in the salary schedule proposed in 2020. That increase was not adopted amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

A 2.5% to 3.5% cost of living increase was also part of the recommendations.

"We did not construe the cost of living as being in addition to the 6%," said Brock. "The scale across the board will be a 6% increase."

Russell also recommended reclassifying positions at the sheriff's office to increase their pay. Sheriff Casey Cox told the panel in May he struggled with turnover of employees to departments paying more. Under the current pay schedule, starting pay for a deputy is $29,479.

"I've lost them to other departments that are paying much higher salaries," Cox told the panel. "We send people to the police academy and get them certified. We send them to school and get their books. And then they leave us."

He estimated the county had spent about $400,000 to train and equip new deputies and send them to the police academy. He said he'd lost about 60 employees since 2018, with many employees taking jobs with other law enforcement agencies in the region.

The plan approved by the panel will increase minimum pay for deputies and corrections employees:

—Patrol Deputy moves from grade 7 to 8, with a minimum salary of $34,372

—Patrol Corporal moves from grade 8 to 9, with a minimum salary of $37,809

—Corrections Officer moves from grade 6 to 7, with a minimum salary of $31,248

—Corrections Corporal moves from grade 7 to 8

—Corrections Sergeant moves from grade 8 to 9

Cox also asked the panel to reward employees who complete their training with an increase in pay, moving them to the first quartile of the pay grade.

For example, once a deputy completes the police academy and can work independently, their pay would be increased to the first quartile of the pay grade, $38,669. For corrections officers, the salary after training would be $35,153.

"Anybody who currently works there would be in the Q1, and they would also recognize years of service with additional pay," said Brooke Shaffer, human resources director.

John Patterson, 9th District commissioner, urged the committee to consider approving the request for the Sheriff's Office.

"You have to gauge and discern between wants, needs and high-priority needs," he said. "I'm sure the sheriff can attest it's difficult to recruit and retain deputies, pay $4,000 to send them to the police academy and have them skip out to White County because they can make $4,000 more ... These guys put their lives on the line."

Kyle Davis, 2nd District commissioner, moved to approve the 6% salary schedule increase, supported by Colleen Mall, 9th District commissioner. It was approved with David Gibson, 4th District commissioner, abstaining because he is employed by the sheriff's office.

Next, Mall moved to approve the proposal for the Sheriff's Office, supported by Deborah Holbrook, 8th District commissioner. It was approved with Gibson abstaining.

The plan also calls for an increase in pay for Emergency Medical Service personnel who obtain and maintain their critical care certification. The individuals would receive 50 cents an hour more for as long as they maintain the certification.

The panel also approved recommendations for other employee reclassifications:

—Veterans Administrative Assistant moved to salary grade 7 due to additional training and access to federal government database

—New HVAC Technician position at salary grade 7

—New licensed electrician position at salary grade 7

—Human Resources Director classification of salary grade 12

—Emergency Management Assistant moved to salary grade 8

Sherrill moved to accept the additional items in the wage proposal, supported by Darrell Threet, 3rd District commissioner. It was approved with Gibson abstaining.

The panel also placed part-time employees on the salary schedule at grade 1, with an hourly pay of $8.48. This would not impact more skilled positions, such as part-time EMS employees which are paid an hourly rate equivalent to their full-time counterparts.

"The county has too much of a variety of talent across the departments for a one wage fits everybody," Brock said. "But if you wanted to implement a minimum wage for the county, that establishes the minimum salary countywide, acknowledging that some departments will pay more."

Threet moved to approve adding part-time employees to the salary schedule, supported by Holbrook. The motion was approved.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.