Sheriff's office braces for more departures

When two of Scott Maxwell's daughters were recently married around the same time, the Kootenai County patrol sergeant joked that they did it to convey their displeasure with him.

Helping foot the bill for one wedding is a financial thorn for most. Two is a rosebush.

As Maxwell's children got older, he took solace in knowing they'd be off the family's health insurance plan, shaving the monthly costs for Maxwell and his wife of 25 years.

But after the county's 2017 fiscal year budget was passed last week — an all-time high of $96,343,347 with a 3 percent property tax increase — he and other county employees' insurance fees are going the other direction.

"I've lost two of three children on my insurance and it's going to go up to $130 (a month)," Maxwell said at a public hearing, referencing the costs used to offset the county's $1.5 million hike in health insurance costs.

The forthcoming budget will pump $12 million into expansion of the county jail and other capital projects that will allow the county to remain debt free, per Kootenai County Clerk Jim Brannon's proposal, as well as add additional staff and small wage increases.

But with a property tax hike and health benefits increase harnessed to county employees, Kootenai County commissioner David Stewart — the lone commissioner to vote against the new budget — likens the plan to robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Of the $1.5 million, the county will pay $865,580 and more than 750 employees will make up the remaining $660,780. Individual employees who meet the requirements for a wellness incentivized premium now pay $38.50 per month for medical, and employees without the wellness incentive pay $77 per month; with the proposed contribution increase they each would pay $20 more per month. For employees with a spouse, the amount paid each month would go up $20 for the employee and an additional $95 for the spouse. One child is an additional $25, and $40 for two or more children.

Numerous wage surveys have noted county employees are 18-40 percent underpaid compared to other agencies. That, coupled with the aforementioned increases, worries Stewart.

“This will set county employees back financially to a point that is unprecedented,” Stewart said. “I have received word that as many as 15 sworn deputies will be leaving the sheriff’s office and move to neighboring departments with higher wages and better benefits.

"...it will take years to recover, at an enormous expense that public safety will ultimately be in peril."

This could lead to what many county employees believe will be a mass exodus to neighboring agencies. Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger has lost 16 deputies to other agencies in the last five years, four in the last year. Of the 16, 11 went to Spokane.

Giving deputies and other staffers incentive to stay is cheaper than re-hiring, according to Wolfinger, who referenced a 2012 human resources study which said it costs in excess of $100,000 to train each new deputy.

"The agencies we compete with are leaving benefits alone while giving their employees raises," Wolfinger said. "We have already lost four deputies this year to agencies with better pay and benefits.

"...When you continue to lose the 4-7 year deputies, it really diminishes the ability to have qualified trainers and mentors for younger deputies."

In 2015, county commissioners amended a budget that gave increased wages for the sheriff's office, the first part of a multi-phased, fair wages plan. The second phase in 2016 didn't happen.

Brannon proposed a 3 percent pay increase from 2 percent for 2017, but it gained no traction, according to Stewart.

Sgt. Jon Brandel, a 20-year employee at the sheriff's office, said he believes the county's favorable crime statistics resulted partly from a 2015 pay increase that was supposed to be followed up with two more bumps that never came to fruition.

"For the first time in a very long time, crime is down. Felony arrests of violent offenders are up," Brandel said. "Complaints against officers are down, citizen satisfaction is up, and that is largely due to the increases that you do give."

Brandel and Maxwell have both seen valuable employees leave the sheriff's office and think more are on their way out.

"I fear we're going to lose the deputies we cannot afford to lose, the experience we cannot afford to lose," Brandel said.

"I've seen 20, 30, 40 guys that we've trained leave, and they start $11 more an hour," Maxwell said. "And their benefits are far more affordable. ...I think the hangup is that there is ability to fix this problem, just not the choice."