Pay equalization between sheriff's deputies and ACCPD faces obstacles at budget hearing

Equal pay for Clarke County sheriff's deputies could be on hold as the deadline for next year's budget approaches.

At a budget meeting Thursday, Mayor Kelly Girtz and several commissioners debated whether or not sheriff's deputies should receive the same pay as their counterparts in the Athens-Clarke County Police Department who receive the same training .

Sheriff John Q. Williams sounded the alarm during a mid-May budget meeting, saying equal pay would be necessary to retain deputies.

“If you want people to die in jail, continue to be understaffed,” Sheriff Williams said.

At Thursday's budget hearing, 1st District Commissioner Patrick Davenport suggested budgeting for a salary study rather than increasing deputies' salaries for next year.

“We choose our favorites. I think a more holistic study would benefit. Just me, I have prejudices. It's my fault. I think our police officers are doing a much better and much better job of protecting our community,” he said.

The mayor asked commissioners to consider the pay gap between Georgia State Patrol officers and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

“These are two public safety units in the state of Georgia. Their gap is much bigger than ours. Our gap between sheriff's deputies working in the jail and those policing the streets through ACCPD is relatively narrow compared to the gap between the Department of Corrections and the State Patrol,” said Girtz.

However, the pay gap between entry-level Georgia State Patrol officers and state correctional officers is about $4,000, while the gap between local sheriff's deputies and state correctional officers is 'ACCPD is around $5,000.

The issue of deputy pay will be settled for the next fiscal year on June 5, when commissioners are expected to approve the budget.

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA