Timing of county deputies raises uncertain

Deputies, jailers and other employees of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department expect a raise Jan. 1 out of the money generated by a new sales tax, Sheriff John Jordan said Tuesday.

On Monday Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said raises for deputies would not be possible by Jan. 1, but he backed off that position Tuesday, leaving the decision up to Jordan.

Questions about the timing of the pay increases were raised during Monday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting. The raises, designed to make pay in the sheriff's department comparable to that of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, were one of the key components of the spending plan for the new tax.

"What I have told my employees is that we would see something in January but that it has not been finalized," Jordan said.

The other main portion of the tax dedicated to the sheriff's department -- money for new road deputies, courtroom security personnel, a nuisance abatement officer and dispatchers -- can wait until later in the year, Jordan said.

The top priority, Jordan said, will be to reward employees who stuck with the department despite the lower-than-average pay. During the campaign to pass the proposition Jordan said he has been dealing with a turnover rate averaging 29 percent since he took office.

"These people have existed down here for years," he said. "This tax gave them hope, and they still have hope. They know there are better things coming.

"Would they be disappointed in January if they have to wait? You betcha," he said.

The timing of the pay raises has become an issue as commissioners discuss how and when to start spending the anticipated $6 million annually the tax will raise for the county. The tax money is designed to replace the property taxes for roads and bridges for the county and the Cape Special Road District, improve law enforcement and accelerate the paving program for county roads.

While consumers will start paying the tax on Jan. 1, the county won't see any of the money until March at the earliest. To fund the expansion and pay raises in the sheriff's department for a full year, commissioners will have to add about $800,000 to the department's $3.1 million annual budget.

Jordan will be responsible for the timing of the raises, Jones said Tuesday. But Jordan will have to keep spending within the limits set by commissioners, he noted.

"It would be my estimate, and that of our auditor, that in eight months we will have about half the money collected," Jones said. "By February 2008, we should have all the money from 2007. Some of those things that might happen, not only with the paving but the sheriff's department, will need to be phased in based on the availability of tax money."

Raises alone will cost about $424,000, Jordan said. If raises take effect Jan. 1, he would spend about $106,000 before the county begins receiving the new tax revenue.

"It will all be worked out," Jones said Tuesday. "It certainly won't be a fight."

Commissioner Jay Purcell and Jordan have been engaged in talks about how soon Jordan would have money added to his budget. In an interview Tuesday Purcell said raises should be the first phase of the process, with new employees coming later.

"It is all about keeping the promises to our citizens and employees in the law enforcement field," Purcell said.

Adding 10 new employees at once would be difficult, Jordan said. Some jail employees who have the required training could move to a road patrol position fairly quickly, he said, but the rest of the hirings would come later.

"I want to take care of the survivors first," he said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 126