Sheriff’s Office Raises Still Up for Discussion

BENTONVILLE — Proposed raises for the top officers in the Benton County Sheriff’s Office will be considered by the Finance Committee next week, although several justices of the peace said they want the increases to be dealt with as part of the overall budget and not separately.

The Quorum Court’s Personnel Committee voted to send Sheriff Kelley Cradduck’s proposal to the Finance Committee’s Aug. 6 meeting.

Cradduck is asking for raises for the top seven positions in his office — Maj. Rob Holly, Maj. Shawn Holloway, Capt. Chris Sparks, Capt. Nathan Atchison, Capt. Brandon Rogers, Capt. Jeremy Felton and Capt. Jeremy Guyll.

At A Glance

Committee Action

The Personnel Committee recommended the following be sent on to the Finance Committee for further discussion:

• Reorganization of the Road Department, which would cut 10 positions and increase pay for others.

• Reorganization of the Information Technology Department

• Reorganization of the Juvenile Detention Center

• Hiring a full-time deputy coroner

• Adding a deputy to serve as a bailiff for the Rogers District Court

• Creating a full-time accounting specialist/fixed assets position and a part-time grants administrator position

• Changing a part-time janitor for the Assessor’s Office to a full-time

• Deleting a receptionist and add a file clerk in the Prosecutor’s Office

• Changing the voter registration supervisor in the County Clerk’s Office to an elections/voter registration administrator.

Source: Staff Report

Cradduck is asking to move each of the seven to the maximum pay allowed at their grade under the county pay scale. For Holly and Holloway, that would increase their salaries from $63,440 to $76,128. Both were approved for a pay increase in April from $57,096, according to records. Holloway was hired by Cradduck this year. Holly worked for the Sheriff’s Office from 1998 until leaving the department in 2011.

Sparks’ salary would increase from $52,499 to $70,678. Pay for Atchison, Rogers, Felton and Guyll would increase from $53,019 to $70,678. Sparks was a jail captain under former Sheriff Keith Ferguson and was paid $52,499 in 2012, according to records. Guyll was a jail lieutenant in 2012 and paid $42,224. Atchison and Felton were sergeants before being promoted after Cradduck took office in 2013. Atchison was paid $46,404 in 2012 and Felton was paid $44,616. Rogers worked for the Sheriff’s Office but resigned in 2011. He was being paid $44,684 as a sergeant when he resigned.

Cradduck said his proposal is needed to raise the pay for the top positions in his office to something near comparable jobs in other departments. He said a survey by the Rogers Police Department last year comparing those positions showed Benton County far below other agencies.

“I understand we’re not a city, but we’re talking a few dollars shy of a $36,000 difference,” Cradduck said. “That’s a large amount to overcome.”

Cradduck said any of the top administrators could easily leave for more pay and advancement at other agencies.

“What I am asking for is not to be a training ground,” he said.

Cradduck said he'll be able to raise revenue in his department to offset the cost in the pay increases. He told the justices of the peace he'll have data for the Finance Committee meeting.

“I don’t want to diminish the other elected officials and their employees,” he said.

Tom Allen, Finance Committee chairman, said he wants to see studies comparing the pay with other entities, but he favors looking at the raises as part of the overall budget.

“This is a big amount of money,” Allen said. “While in this committee it’s a matter of 'Is there a need for you to do something of this magnitude?' I prefer to go to the Budget Committee. There are others in other departments where there is a great disparity as well.”

Barry Moehring, justice of the peace for District 15, said he favors discussing the raises at the Finance Committee, he also wants to consider them as part of the budget.

“There’s no doubt the Sheriff’s Office is underpaid,” Moehring said. “But I’d much rather see this addressed holistically in budget. It’s too much, too fast and I believe it will have an impact on the rest of the county.”

Barb Ludwig, human resources director, suggested the justices of the peace might want to review pay scale and policies as a whole and not just look at separate proposals to correct individual problems. Rey Hernandez, justice of the peace for District 2, distributed copies of a proposal regarding a merit pay policy. Shirley Sandlin, justice of the peace for District 8 and Personnel Committee chairwoman, said she would schedule another meeting to review Hernandez’s proposal and consider a review of the pay plan.

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