KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)- An apparent agreement has been reached in the ongoing dispute between Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Sheriff Tom Spangler over pay raises deputy pay raises.
Jacobs and Spangler announced Friday that a new general fund budget amendment proposal will raise pay for patrol officers ranked captain and below by 12 percent and bump pay for corrections officers by 27 percent without increasing property taxes or cutting services.
Jacobs had initially proposed an 8 percent pay raise. Spangler had demanded a 30 percent pay raise, which Jacobs said would have required a 14.5 percent property tax increase.
Officials said the raises will allow them to be more competitive with other surrounding county sheriff’s departments and the Knoxville Police Department.
“It has been very difficult to recruit,” Knox County Sheriff’s Office’s Finance Director Allison Rogers said. “With this, I do hope we’ll see a turn. We’ll be able to recruit more. We’re very hopeful that this new starting salary will make a difference.”
Spangler has been fighting for a pay increase for his employees. He said the current starting salary for officers is below levels for similar jobs in surrounding counties.
To make the budget work, 29 corrections division positions will go unfilled, and annual pay increases will be capped at 3%.
“Ultimately we know we’re going to have future savings in pension,” Knox County Finance Director Chris Caldwell said. “One of the things that the mayor and the sheriff agreed to is a cap of compensation and a UOPP of 3%, that will save $19 million over the next 20 years. We’re going to frontload some of that money to be able to pay for these increases.”
According to Caldwell, under this new proposed budget, the county will also implement a $10 booking and processing fee for the jail and work on passing legislation to raise the state prisoner reimbursement rate.
“What we’ll do is we will bring an amended budget to the county commission and the general fund will increase by $3.975 million,” Caldwell said. “So the general fund budget will go from 220.9, which we would present to the commission on Monday.”
This would make KCSO starting salaries among the highest-paying sheriff’s departments in the state. Although Mayor Jacobs and Sheriff Spangler have agreed on this pay rate change, it still has to go before the county commission to be approved.
Commissioner Larsen Jay said he’s proud of the mayor and sheriff for working together to compromise.
“The mayor and the sheriff were on two opposite ends,” Jay explained. “They agree on a lot, they work together on a lot but part of this is just how our budget season goes and finding a way to find that compromise and find the resources but, in Mayor Jacob’s case, without an additional tax increase. So I think you’ll find it to be very favorable amongst commissioners and find a way for us to move forward with the budget vote next week.”
“We will have to tighten the purse strings and really get to work to ensure that the state and federal governments are doing their part,” Commissioner Kim Frazier said in a statement. “It will be tough, but we will continue to work hard for the people of Knox County. I have a lot to consider before Monday.”
The county commission will be meeting at 5 o’clock Monday, June 5 to vote on the new budget.
