Oliver wants 5% pay hike for his staff

RUSSELLVILLE – Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver hasn’t seen much turnover within his department lately and he wants to keep it that way.

Oliver said he will request a 5% pay raise for all employees in the sheriff’s office when he presents his 2027 budget to the county commission later this month.

The sheriff’s office received a 7.95% pay raise from the commission last year to pay deputies who have graduated from the police academy $20.23 per hour.

Presently, a deputy who is a graduate of the police academy and has single medical coverage makes $59,453, according to Oliver. A deputy who has graduated from the police academy and has family medical coverage makes $54, 258.

A deputy would make $21.24 per hour should the commission grant the 5% increase, which would equate to a $1.01 per hour raise for deputies.

“We’ve lost a couple to state agencies (the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency) and two more have left because of family moves,” Oliver said. “With this raise, we would remain competitive with other agencies around us.”

The sheriff’s office employs 60 people from patrol to part-time, Oliver said.

In addition to the pay raises, Oliver said he will continue to ask for three new patrol vehicles to be purchased by the county to replace older vehicles. He said the vehicle replacement program has been ongoing year to year since he was elected in 2011.

“What has greatly changed is the cost of patrol vehicles,” Oliver said. “When I became sheriff in 2011, a patrol vehicle was $20,000 and it cost between $9,000 or $10,000 to put the police package on it.”

He said a typical patrol unit now costs about $50,000 each, and the police package averages $20,000 for each vehicle.

Oliver said the existing patrol fleet includes Chevrolet Tahoes, Ford Interceptors, and Dodge Chargers and Durangoes.

He said once three vehicles are purchased, three of the older vehicles would be sold to other law enforcement agencies.