Wilson County committee weighs targeted pay boost for sheriff's office to address retention

Wilson County's law enforcement committee spent a large portion of its meeting debating deputy pay and retention, with members voicing concern that long-serving deputies earn far less than advertised top-out figures and that recruitment is suffering.

The committee heard that some deputies with two decades of service earn roughly $55,000, while published top-out figures approach the high $60,000s. "Most agencies now around Nashville are trying to get starting pay for law enforcement at least at $60,000. That's the target," said Speaker 9 during the discussion. Speaker 9 also described staffing pressures: "That's why we were down, what, 17 people in jail a couple weeks ago. We just approved another 15 to go on the budget."

The group reviewed how the county's pay approach currently works: staff described a guaranteed 2% step increase each year under a 16-year step plan rather than a fixed plug-in pay schedule. Speaker 6 summarized pay-grade examples read from current tables: captains about $90,000; lieutenants about $81,000; sergeants about $66,000; corporals about $59,500; patrol about $53,600; jail sergeants about $53,000; jail officers about $40,000. A starting jail hourly rate cited in the meeting was $19.56.

Speaker 9 proposed a targeted increase to the sheriff's office: "Let's add 12% to that and do a 14% to the sheriff's office for everyone, sergeant down." Committee members did not adopt that proposal as a motion to change pay tonight. Instead, finance and HR were asked to model options so the committee can compare (a) a straight percentage increase applied to sheriff's-office positions, and (b) slotting employees into the existing pay plan based on years of service. Speaker 2 offered to run fiscal scenarios for the requested 12%/14% option and for the slotting approach.

Members also discussed revenue options to support pay changes, including the idea of a wheel-tax referendum (current county wheel tax cited as $25, generating about $3.5 million annually). Committee members emphasized process: changes to the pay plan would need HR analysis and budget committee review before any final action.

The committee concluded the item by directing staff to prepare costings and return with concrete options; no pay changes were enacted at this meeting.