NEWBERRY COUNTY — Sheriff Lee Foster recently thanked Newberry County Council for providing historic pay increases to county law enforcement personnel.

The increases, which were already provisionally in place but finalized at a Wednesday, June 17 meeting of county council, raised law enforcement salaries and improved starting pay for new certified officers. (Starting pay for certified patrol officers has been increased from $34,000 per year to $41,000).

After losing several seasoned and well-trained deputies to other agencies, and having difficulty finding replacements, Foster spoke with members of Newberry County Council about how this turnover was impacting public safety in Newberry County. Council members Kirksey Koon and Harriett Rucker took on the task to find a solution, according to Foster.

“County Council has made (the) pay for the people who protect our lives and property competitive with that for Richland and Lexington counties and other agencies within our own county. In my entire career in law enforcement, this has never been the case — this is historic. Council has truly prioritized law enforcement as a service for Newberry County’s citizens,” Foster said.

Council Chairman Buddy Livingston and Foster gave credit to all of County Council, noting unanimous support for the amendment.

“As a council, we work together for the good of the citizens. This was an obvious benefit to our county, and it honors the dedication and bravery of men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day,” said Livingston.

“Council has acted unanimously to enable us to attract qualified new officers, and to retain the experienced personnel who make our department so strong,” Foster said.

“It is very expensive to hire, train, and retain licensed and certified law enforcement officers. When a trained veteran leaves for better pay in an adjoining agency, those deputies must be replaced. Because of our pay structure at the time, we could not attract certified, licensed officers or qualified persons to be trained for licensure. We found ourselves paying new deputies for at least eight months to do non-law enforcement duties while they waited on training. That is a huge expense to the taxpayer, is not efficient, and leaves large gaps in our ability to protect the citizens,” said Foster. “Dr. Rucker and Mr. Koon recognized the cost to the taxpayer and the danger that it was causing to the public and the deputies. They both saw that it was costing the county more to train deputies for other agencies, only to have them leave then starting the process over again versus giving a pay raise and retaining the deputies we have already spent the taxpayer’s money on.”

Work on the pay increases began last fall, after the county received its annual financial audit. Council members Kirksey Koon and Harriett Rucker examined the county’s financial status and realized the pay increase was sustainable without an increase in property taxes.

“It was just a question of giving the Sheriff the resources he needs to protect the citizens of the county,” said Koon. “That should be our priority above any special interests.”

Rucker described the critical nature of the pay increases.

“We can’t be a successful county if we don’t adequately fund our most important department. Public safety is the foremost job of county council,” she said.

Foster noted his appreciation for the efforts of Koon and Rucker.

“Kirksey Koon is for controlling spending, and he is for strong law enforcement. He has managed to make those two things work together. Koon recognized the cost to the taxpayer and the danger these personnel shortages were being placed on the citizens as well as the deputies that were out in the field. Hats off,” Foster said.“Harriett Rucker watches spending like a hawk, but she always steps up for law enforcement and public safety and framed those concerns to ensure there was not a tax increase. She also has such an analytical mind that she can analyze the budget and determine how to save funds to be expended on necessary functions. She saw right off the bat that we were losing money by training deputies for other agencies.”

Since implementing the pay plan, turnover has been diminished to retirements and the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office has been able to attract qualified licensed law enforcement officers.

Koon and Rucker included provisions in the FY 2020-21 budget to continue the increased pay levels, making them permanent with the support of the other members of Newberry County Council.

According to County Administration, the property tax levy for this fall is projected to remain at a fourteen-year low and there was no tax increase to retain the deputies.