Sheriff tells council pay changes and hiring have improved recruitment; county adds positions for contract cities

A representative of the Sheriff’s Office identified in the record as Sean briefed the council on staffing and retention trends and said pay adjustments put in place in 2025, effective in January, have helped recruiting and retention.

Sean said retention rates fell from about 86% in 2023 to 77% in 2024 and roughly 71–72% in 2025, which drove higher hiring requirements in recent years. "Our retention rate in 2023 was 86%... 2024, 77%. 2025, a retention rate of, 71, almost 72%," he said, then noted the agency has hired nine people so far in 2026 who remain active with the department.

The sheriff’s representative told the council a county budget amendment approved earlier the same day added 10 positions to contract cities; four existing general-fund positions moved into the contract-cities footing and six net new full-time equivalents were added, which the speaker said will be a net gain for the enforcement division. He said the goal is to match service level to demand, increase coverage, and reduce response times.

Council members asked about field-training timelines and when new hires will be independently deployed; the sheriff’s office answered that several cadets and six officers in field training are expected to complete training around May and by the end of the summer many will be operational.

No council action was required; the report informed upcoming budget and staffing discussions.