Marion Co. Sheriff's To Pay For Raises

After months of debate, Marion County Sheriff's deputies will get their three percent raises.

The department asked the City County Council for an additional $535,000 for its officers.

But, the council voted against the move, requesting that the Sheriff's Department make adjustments within its own budget to pay for the raises.

Administrative Commander Louis Dezelen says the raises are possible through attrition

"The truth is, a lot of (officers) are leaving because of the low pay," he said.  "We can't predict throughout the year how many deputies are going to leave.  As it happened, several did leave.  Our numbers are down to like 660 deputies now and we feel like we can fund that raise now with the money that is left over from not paying the salaries of the deputies that left."

But, fewer officers means others are picking up the slack.  Sheriff John Layton says some are doing double duty.

"The deputies pulled up their bootstraps and we have stayed away from having an academy.  Not that we won't in the future," he said.  "Because we did not have that academy and it would have been an academy of about 35 deputies we will have the money for the three percent pay raise for the deputies this year."

The raises will be in effect retroactively to July 1.