Panel debates EMS pay, deputies

Jun. 20—Proposals to increase pay for emergency medical services workers and increasing the number of deputies in Cumberland County remain in a proposed budget — for now.

But the two items can add more than $800,000 to the county's budget. Members of the Cumberland County Commission budget committee decided to wait on making cuts to the proposals until revenue for the coming fiscal year is available.

Sheriff Casey Cox requested four new officers, though he is seeking a grant for up to six new deputies.

Terry Lowe, 5th District commissioner, suggested reducing the number of new deputies to two, "at the most," noting that even with the grant, the county would have to pay the deputies for at least a year from county funds.

"I don't know that the county could afford that without a tax increase," Lowe said.

David Gibson, 4th District commissioner and an investigator with the Sheriff's Office, asked, "What part of the county don't you want covered?"

Lowe said all parts of the county are covered now. The sheriff's office divides the county into three zones with two deputies per zone, each about 210 square miles.

Gibson asked, "Do you want a response time of 5 or 10 minutes? Or do you want a response time of 30 minutes?"

Lowe said, "I don't know how you're figuring that. The response time would be from wherever they're at."

Gibson has worked at the sheriff's office for 41 years.

"I've been out there by myself waiting for backup to be there and wishing like hell they was there 30 minutes ago," he said.

Lowe said, "There's times when 10 more deputies wouldn't be enough, and there's time when the deputies sit there and don't do nothing for a pretty good while. It's hard to figure."

The cost of adding four deputies is estimated at $216,669 for salary and benefits and one-time costs of $253,331. However, Cox said the county has the opportunity to apply for a COPS grant that would pay 75% of benefits and salaries for up to nine new deputies. Cox said he didn't believe he could hire that many new deputies in a year, but is applying for six new positions.

The county would be responsible for the officer's equipment, vehicles and training, estimated at $380,000, and the grant requires the county to continue their employment for at least 12 months after the grant ends.

The county's share of salary and benefits would be $81,000 the first year.

Cox noted the county has been growing fast. Cumberland County E-911 reported 673 new addresses and 35 new roads in the county from July 1, 2021, through May 30, 2022.

Cox won't know if he will receive the grant until later in the summer. Regardless of grant funding, he asked for at least four new deputies.

Joe Sherrill, 6th District commissioner, said, "If we're over budget, adding more seems silly unless we're going to raise taxes — and I think that's going to be voodoo territory."

Colleen Mall, 9th District commissioner, asked if the committee could get response times to calls to consider.

Cox told the committee in May that the department's emergency call volume has increased, responding to 47,000 calls last year. The department includes 45 deputies with 34 patrol deputies. Cox said his goal is to increase coverage to three deputies per zone, noting the six additional deputies would not accomplish that, but "we're knocking on its door," he said in May.

The county's salary consultant has also recommended changes in the pay scale for the EMS department, estimated at $348,000.

The changes were requested to help the department remain competitive in employee retention and recruitment as the county struggles to keep personnel.

EMS Director Chris Miller told the budget committee in May that he is losing personnel to counties where the annual pay is close to what Cumberland County pays, but the employees work about 800 hours less a year.

Cumberland County Finance Director Nathan Brock said the changes from one salary grade to the next is an increase of about 10% and the estimated cost includes the countywide 6% raise, as well.

Mall asked how the salary consultant determines compensation recommendations. Brock said salaries were compared within the region, particularly areas where the county competes for employees, and overall industry trends.

The changes are similar to a change in pay structure approved for the sheriff's office last year, Chad Norris, 1st District commissioner and investigator with the sheriff's office, noted. That change impacted deputies and patrol corporals, corrections offices, corrections corporals and corrections sergeants, he said, but not supervisors.

Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster said the supervisors work regular shifts.

"They are on the truck," Foster said.

Norris said the same was true for the sheriff's office.

Foster also said he believed the department was on track to exceed its budgeted revenue by $400,000 for the year and had exceeded revenue in recent years.

Sherrill noted the revenue was something to consider.

"They pay for a lot of themselves," he said, adding county taxpayers pick up the expense for capital equipment like new ambulances.

Mall said, "We need to keep in mind these are step increases to keep these very high-level trained individuals, because he is losing them to other counties. These are the experienced people that we probably ought to think about making it better to keep them."

Personnel requests for the county total more than $577,000. The committee questioned the need for an additional field appraiser in the property assessor's office, a full-time circulation librarian for Art Circle Public Library, and moving some solid waste workers from part-time to full-time positions.

Mark Baldwin, 7th District commissioner, said, "I'm right to be nervous about these numbers."

Nancy Hyder, 2nd District commissioner, said, "We're wanting to all those people and we can't take care of the one's we've got."

Rebecca Stone, 3rd District commissioner, said adding employees is a commitment to keep their salaries in coming years, even if there is grant funding to help with salaries at first.

"Because we're not going to want to let them go," she said.

The budget committee will reconvene June 22 at 4:30 p.m. in the small meeting room of the Cumberland County Courthouse, 2 N. Main St.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.