Alleghany commissioners unanimously approve higher starting pay for deputy sheriffs and service-credit supplement

The Alleghany County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to raise the starting salary for deputy sheriffs and to add a service-credit supplement intended to improve recruitment.

The county's chief finance officer presented the proposal, saying the current starting salary is $40,491 and the request is to raise it to $45,000. "The current salary for a new hire deputy sheriff is $40,491 currently. We would like to request that the board consider raising that to 45,000," the finance officer said. The proposal also includes a service-credit adjustment of $1,300 per five years of prior law-enforcement service to reward experienced applicants: "...we finally landed at is $1,300 per 5 years of law enforcement service." The change was described as applying to full-time deputy sheriff hires and not to detention officers.

Commissioners asked how the change would affect the sheriff's budget and whether funding is available. The finance officer said current vacancy savings and available funds could cover the change this year and that any unspent funds would return to the fund balance; however, the adjustment will have to be incorporated into next year’s budget. He offered a rough worst-case figure of about $40,000 added to next year’s sheriff budget if multiple hires with extensive prior service were made.

After discussion the board moved, seconded and approved the salary adjustment and the service-credit supplement by a 5-0 vote. The action aims to make Alleghany County competitive with neighboring jurisdictions in recruiting sworn deputies.

Next steps are administrative: county staff will implement the new starting salary and service-credit schedule and reflect the change in next year’s budget documents.