Bill would increase pay for deputies
Published Feb. 29, 2008
A bill proposing a pay increase for Missouri deputy sheriffs will be presented for a vote in the Missouri House of Representatives this week.
The Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund would result in a $10 increase in the fee for the service of any civil summons, writ, subpoena or other court order.
The money collected for the fund would be distributed by the Missouri Sheriff Methamphetamine Relief Taskforce (MoSMART), which is housed in the Department of Public Safety.
The bill was introduced by the Senate Interim Committee on Funding for County Sheriffs, a group of senators created to take a closer look at the issue of underpaid deputy sheriffs in some Missouri counties.
Boone County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Tom Reddin said the bill would not affect the Boone County sheriff’s deputies because they are one of the highest paid sheriffs departments in the state.
He said the starting salary for Boone County deputy sheriffs have a starting salary of $33,106.50 per year.
The committee visited Missouri county jails and spoke to deputy sheriffs. Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Jefferson County, co-sponsor of the bill and member of the committee described how some sheriffs had to buy their own guns and in some cases their own patrol cars because the county didn’t have enough funding.
According to McKenna, sheriffs in several counties had even taken second jobs to supplement their low salaries.
“Some sheriffs’ salaries are as low as $15,000 after taxes,” he said. “Many of the sheriffs qualified for food stamps, and their children were qualifying for free or reduced lunches.”
In a Sept. 2007 news release, committee member Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Hannibal, wrote that deputies in 91 of the 114 Missouri counties qualified for state assistance.
According to the Missouri Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the fund would allow deputies a set minimum wage, setting the target salary for Missouri deputy sheriffs at $28,000.
The bill passed in the Senate on Feb. 19 and will be voted on by the House this week. If the House makes changes to the bill, it will go back to the Senate. If passed, the bill would require be signed by the governor before it would become effective on Aug. 28, 2008.