The Russell County Fiscal Court Voted unanimously to move forward with a plan to provide hazardous duty pay for Russell County Sheriff’s deputies at yesterday morning’s meeting.
The plan will still have to go through the fiscal court’s budget committee and be approved in the next county budget, which will go into effect in July.
Sheriff Derek Polston spoke to WJRS News following the meeting, and said he was very appreciative of the court’s support.
Judge Executive Randy Marcum said the county has been supportive of the move. The problem was finding a way to fund the higher retirement contributions. The plan is for the cost to be offset by excess fees from the sheriff’s office turned over to the court. The excess fees may not completely cover the cost, but both the sheriff and the court hope the excess fees turned over will substantially lower the cost.
Last month, we reported the cost would add up to approximately $60,000 more than the county is currently contributing for 7 deputies. That could rise, however, as the sheriff’s office adds more personnel to get to a better staffing level.
