Fayette County’s sheriff told the commission the department will permanently remove four vacant positions and redistribute the budgeted salary dollars to increase pay for currently filled deputy slots.

The sheriff said the county has struggled with recruitment and lateral transfers of certified officers to state police, and he proposed deleting the four unfilled slots and dividing the salary funds among 32 active units. The sheriff’s estimate in the meeting noted an annual increase of about $6,215 per remaining officer from the reallocation of those line items. County staff advised that shifting funds between salary line items is an administrative action and does not require a separate commission vote, but the sheriff presented the plan to the commission for transparency and public awareness.

Commissioners expressed support for taking care of county deputies while noting the importance of interagency cooperation with state police. One commissioner asked to make the change retroactive to the prior pay period; county staff said that could be arranged administratively.

Ending: The reallocation will proceed administratively; staff will implement payroll adjustments and update commission records to reflect the deleted positions and increased pay for current deputies.