Full-time patrol sergeant positions created for sheriff’s office despite hesitation

Unsure of the impact the creation of two full-time patrol sergeant positions would have on the county budget, supervisors were initially hesitant to approve the request from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in prolonged talks over other potential options and whether it would be best to hold off on any action.

However, the unease supervisors felt would later vanish after a long discussion, and they would go on to approve the request and create the positions.

Sheriff-Elect Brad Shutts explained at the Nov. 26 board of supervisors meeting that these two salaried positions do not add any new staff to the sheriff’s office but rather replace two existing hourly deputy positions. Shutts said the remaining two deputy positions would not be filled, offering some level of cost savings.

Supervisor Brandon Talsma said he wants to support the creation of the sergeant positions but he wanted to know if his fellow supervisors would be willing to slow down the conversation a little bit. To him, it feels like there are a lot of moving parts that will become even more complicated with union negotiations coming up.

“There is a lot going on right now, and I want be supportive but I want to make sure we’re keeping an overall eye on the county budget as well,” Talsma said.

Shutts noted the creation of these positions also comes with raises, but he moved some positions around to free up room in the budget. He added there are no additions to the current budget. Supervisor Doug Cupples questioned why Talsma was so reserved about it. Talsma said they don’t know the budget impact.

“We’ve got reorganization currently going on in (secondary roads), we’ve got union contract negotiations that we have no idea what the settlement is going to be at,” Talsma said. “And I don’t know about you guys but my intent going into budget season is keeping it under 1.5 percent growth.”

Shutts explained he wanted to have one position ready by the beginning of 2025 and then the other ready within the next few months. At first, Cupples was indifferent to Talsma’s suggestion to slow down on any action. He asked Shutts if delaying action would hinder him in any way.

“I would just like to get things organized for my administration,” Shutts said to Cupples. “…We had five people test for these positions.”

Still, Talsma was reluctant to make this decision while the board is four weeks away from budget discussions. He also worried that creating the positions now could result in the supervisors having to eliminate other positions due to budget constraints, and those eliminations would not just fall on the sheriff’s office.

In addition, Talsma argued the sergeant positions are partly based on the salary of the sheriff. Since the compensation board has yet to meet and recommend wage increases, the supervisors do not know what kind of raises elected officials would be looking at. He worried it would overly increase the cost of operations.

“People are pissed about property taxes. People are pissed about expenses. Again, my goal coming into budget season, I’ve let it be known, my goal is to be at 1.5 percent,” Talsma said. “With all the moving parts we have in place right now, I’m getting a little — I’ll be honest — I’m getting a little nervous.”

Talsma emphasized he is not saying “no” but rather he wants to slow down the conversation. Cupples later changed his mind and sided with Talsma. Supervisor Thad Nearmyer made it clear he was supportive, but he said it would be helpful to have a longer discussion.

Discussions shifted to other solutions. Talsma asked Shutts if he needs more deputies on the road and if he would hypothetically accept two sergeant positions and additional road deputies if the county could fund it. Shutts said the sheriff’s office could always use additional workers.

Talsma suggested the supervisors expand the conversation at budget season to include the two sergeant positions but also refilling additional road deputies. The sheriff’s office would come to the supervisors with these two requests to see how it would affect the countywide budget. Then supervisors could act on it.

Dennis Simon, human resources director for Jasper County, said creating a position is one thing, but filling them is another. The county, he added, has struggled to fill the positions it currently has, so adding more may not be wise. Talsma understood but he then countered why would they need more sergeants.

Shutts reasoned he shifted around full-time and part-time positions to make room in the budget, noting the one full-time courthouse deputy would be replaced by three part-time deputies working rotating shifts. Shutts also argued if he got a 2 percent raise it would not substantially affect the sheriff’s office budget.

“I’ve done what I could to save some money to create these positions,” Shutts said. “I stand behind that and that’s what I’m asking.”

Nearmyer asked if there was any difference in approving the two sergeant positions now and then deciding on the other deputy positions later. Talsma conceded there really wouldn’t be any difference. Nearmyer also asked if adding more road deputies was part of the overall plan of the sheriff’s office.

Shutts said, “I’d love to have more. I don’t want to see those guys working alone.”

Despite the hesitation and long discussion, the board of supervisors voted 3-0 to approve the resolution from the sheriff’s office requesting the creation of two full-time patrol sergeants. But the supervisors did mention they would continue the conversation about adding more deputies in the future.