While the local McDonald’s has a banner announcing hiring beginning at $14 an hour, if Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery did the same it would say jailers start at an hourly rate of $12.16 and deputies at $12.83.
To address this challenge, as well as the retention of his employees, Sheriff Montgomery will be asking the Baxter County Quorum Court to approve a new wage scale for his department when it approves the 2022 budget Tuesday evening. The court will meet in regular session at 6.
In part one of our story, Montgomery explained the steps he has taken to separate his department from the county’s wage scale, while contending all employees should be compensation based on the requirements of an individual’s position.
The hiring challenge is not a new one for the sheriff’s office. Montgomery says he tried a similar approach to addressing the wage disparity in 2007 but was not successful.
He says for years, many have commented tongue-in-cheek that the Baxter County Sheriff’s Department is a training ground for other local law enforcement agencies with higher pay scales and benefits.
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At the same time, Montgomery says law enforcement in Baxter County has changed.
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And then came COVID-19.
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A combination of all these factors has led to Montgomery telling the members of the personnel and budget committee his department has been operating in crisis mode since early summer.
His plea to the members of the committees has led to their unanimous approval for his request to go to the full court.
Montgomery’s request is for $270,000 in funding for additional compensation from general revenue for members of his department. The county’s quarter-cent sales tax covers the operation of the jail, including the members of the detention center staff.
Tuesday evening’s meeting of the quorum court will be held in the second floor courtroom of the Baxter County Courthouse.
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