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B. Recommendation for Established Deputies <br /> As noted above,the Indian River Board of County Commissioners("Legislative Body")approved <br /> a 5% increase for their own employees, as well as for the employees of all other County <br /> Constitutional Officers, including the Sheriff.' Currently,while the County does not have a salary <br /> schedule for Deputies, it notes that Deputies are paid somewhere in the range starting at$38,950 <br /> and topping out at$63,151.(See County Exhibit 3). Therefore, an increase of the base salary to <br /> $42,000 as proposed by the County amounts to an increase of approximately 7.8%to the <br /> base/starting salary. The County has also proposed that all other Deputies not at the top of the <br /> paygrade receive a 5%increase,and that those Deputies currently at the top of the pay grade <br /> receive a"lump sum"increase of$1500. In this later regard,the County proposes that"anyone <br /> not at the top of the paygrade but within 5%of topping out,that employee would be moved to the <br /> top of the paygrade in base pay and receive the balance in a lump sum." While the Union has not <br /> taken issue with a 5%wage increase, it has opposed the manner in which the County seeks to <br /> apply this 5% increase. It is the Union's position that those employees with 20 or more years of <br /> County service be placed at the top of the wage schedule. <br /> In formulating a recommendation for the Deputies, it is boilerplate interest based bargaining logic <br /> that the key to any such recommendation should be to attract outstanding candidates for the <br /> position of Deputy Sheriff,as well as to retain the uniquely skilled and dedicated Deputies <br /> currently on the Sheriff's roster. In this regard,the record reflects that while the bargaining unit <br /> consists of approximately 150 employees,a total of 31 bargaining unit Deputies and four <br /> Detectives have voluntarily departed from the Sheriff's office of which the majority of those <br /> Deputies and Detectives had at least 2 or more years of experience, with the average experience of <br /> those who departed as 10.5 years. To any law enforcement agency,this number of departing <br /> Deputies and Detectives should be cause for concern. The key question to be addressed is <br /> whether there was a common issue which triggered their departure. In addressing this common <br /> issue,the Union maintains that has it has"[m]ade the Sheriff aware that the retention epidemic is <br /> result of low wages and benefits." (Union brief at page 7). The County has not disagreed and in <br /> 'The County notes that this 5%increase would cost the County$483,360.56. Accordingly,using basic math,each <br /> 1%increase would cost the County approximately$96,672. <br /> 6 <br /> 10 <br />