BENTONVILLE — Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway wants justices of the peace to fund 15 new positions in the 2023 budget at a cost of nearly $1 million.
He made the request at Thursday’s county budget meeting. Benton County justices of the peace are working on next year’s budget.
Holloway wants 10 new positions for jail deputies. He originally was going to ask for 20 positions but didn’t feel it was the appropriate time, he said.
“Honestly, we can use about 30,” Holloway said.
He said the jail is staffed to hold 550 detainees but is currently averaging 750 people. The jail held as many as 850 inmates this year, he said.
Holloway said the jail is currently down 10 positions, and the goal is to first fill those positions. Holloway did not expect to fill the new positions until mid-2023.
Justices of the peace voted last week to increase the minimum pay for jail deputies from $19.42 to $20 per hour. Holloway said he hopes the increase will help the jail retain deputies.
Holloway requested four new field deputy positions, saying he’s been sheriff for six years and has not added any field deputies during his tenure.
“It’s probably been eight years since we added boots on the ground,” he said.
Holloway said the Sheriff’s Office could add a deputy to each of the shifts to help cover the county.
Meyer Gilbert, the Sheriff’s Office’s chief deputy, said the office needed to add an information technology position.
Gilbert said the office has two people assigned to the office’s IT department, and the Sheriff’s Office has hundreds of computers and laptops in each patrol car. He said there are cameras in the jail, and the Sheriff’s Office added electronic ticketing and body cameras. The office has added devices but not any people, he said.
The total cost of the 15 new positions would be $978,291.
Drew Shover with the Benton County Juvenile Probation Office requested a position for a juvenile intake officer. He said the office could be more proactive and work better with schools with the added position.
Shover also requested an office manager position. The county will have to pay $156,194 to fund both positions.
Roderick Grieve, the county’s assessor, requested three new positions — a homestead supervisor and two deputy assessors — at a total cost of $198,265. He said the positions are needed to keep up with growth in the area.
The projected general fund budget for next year is $56.4 million, and the road budget is $15.3 million. This year’s budgets are $51.5 million for the general fund and $14.6 million for roads.
The justices of the peace discussed giving 3% cost of living/merit raises to employees. Justice of the Peace Kurt Moore recommended giving employees a 2% cost of living increase and 3% merit increase.
Brenda Peacock, the county’s comptroller, said the 2023 budget will be an 8.47% increase over this year’s budget.
Tom Allen, the justice of the peace who chairs the Finance Committee, said he wants to get through all the requests and then decide on raises. Allen said he would like to give employees raises higher than 3%.
The Finance Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Quorum Court Room in the Benton County Administration Building.
Print Headline: Sheriff asks JPs to fund 15 positions
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