Hats off to the members of the Blue Ridge City Council for increasing the pay for the city’s police officers.
In their January meeting, council members voted for a pay scale that will help the department hire and retain the best officers to serve and protect the city’s citizens.
This is important. There is a shortage of law enforcement officers everywhere. Those in the profession are often underpaid, forcing them to go to other jurisdictions or leave the profession entirely to be able to feed their families. They have no choice.
But when this happens communities suffer.
The crime that plagues the entire nation is right here at home, too. Read the arrest reports every week. Read the headlines. Local residents deserve the best level of protection possible.
The way to make sure this protection exists is to pay good people enough money to stay and do the job. Blue Ridge has exhibited the foresight to do this.
The starting salary for a full time patrolman in Blue Ridge is now $18.00 an hour. Thanks to the council, pay raises are given as experience and promotions mount.
And not only that, the decision in Blue Ridge is even less than in McCaysville where a starting, full time patrolman is paid $18.50 an hour.
It’s a shame the Fannin County Board of Commissioners do not have the same foresight to take care of the sheriff’s deputies and, at the same time, tell the citizens of the county their safety is important.
During the county budget process, Sheriff Dane Kirby asked Commission Chairman Stan Helton and post commissioners Earl Johnson and Glenn Patterson to approve a budget that would have put the starting pay for a deputy just under $18 an hour.
The sheriff presented strong justification for the request, citing the deputies he was losing to other departments and other jobs and the need to hire and keep top quality deputies.
The commissioners said no, approving increases that put a starting, full time deputy sheriff’s pay at $15.89 an hour.
All the commissioners have stood on a promise of strong support for law enforcement and public safety. Their vote refusing to support the sheriff’s office did not reflect any such support or dedication.
The City of Blue Ridge has a 2020 fiscal year budget of $2,903,950 to serve 1,290 citizens. The base, starting pay for a full time officer is $18.00 an hour.
The City of McCaysville has a 2020 fiscal year budget of $1,455,526 to serve 1,056 citizens. The base starting pay for a police officer is $18.50 an hour.
Fannin County has a 2020 fiscal year budget of $28,564,665 to serve 23,682 citizens, a population that increases by the thousands every weekend, and includes residents living in the cities. The base starting pay for a full time deputy sheriff is $15.89 an hour.
It is easy to see which government leaders are dedicated to making sure the citizens who elected them are protected.
Fannin County should join the fight against crime, amend the budget, and give the sheriff what he needs. To do anything less is turning a blind eye to the seriousness of the situation.