Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Crawford County JPs block proposed raises
VAN BUREN — An effort to provide salary raises to Crawford County Sheriff’s Office employees fell short of the votes needed to make it a reality.
The Crawford County Quorum Court voted 8-4 to approve an ordinance appropriating a total of $57,180 for the raises at its meeting Monday.
The ordinance needed nine votes to pass. Justices of the Peace Morgan Morgan, Lonnie Myers, Mitch Carolan and Jason Cox voted against it. Michael Morrison, who held the District 4 justice of the peace position, had announced his resignation earlier this year.
Craig Wahlmeier, District 11 justice of the peace, sponsored the ordinance, which states the Sheriff ’s Office has to compete with other law enforcement agencies in the area for provision of its employees, deputies and officers. The ordinance broke down the yearly salary raises as follows:
• One bookkeeper position raised from $34,840 to $36,420.80.
• Seven patrol/criminal investigations division sergeant positions raised from $42,078 to $43,078.
• Four detention sergeant positions raised from $37,356.80 to $38,356.80.
• Two patrol/criminal investigations division lieutenant positions raised from $44,470 to $47,470.
• Three detention lieutenant positions raised from $39,395.20 to $42,395.20.
• Two total patrol/criminal investigations division captain and detention captain positions raised from $47,008 to $52,008.
• One chief deputy position raised from $49,712 to $59,712.
The county Budget Committee, which is comprised of Quorum Court members, voted to approve the money for the salary increases at its own meeting earlier Monday. It included $57,180 total from the county general, public safety and jail and law enforcement sales tax funds.
However, the Quorum Court approved $85,000 from the county general fund as part of a larger appropriation ordinance to pay for another nurse to join the county jail’s medical staff for the rest of the year.
Daniel Perry, county sheriff, said in a letter included in the meeting packet that the jail has two nurses on staff that provide care to inmates 120 hours per week.
“Adding a third nurse will allow us to have a nurse on the premises for 160 hours per week, which will provide 24- hour care for inmates,” Perry wrote.
Perry said Advanced Correctional Healthcare provides contracted medical services to the jail. The third nurse will be paid for with money from the jail and law enforcement one-quarter percent sales tax fund after this year.