Wanted: Trained officers with experience

By Dan Hust
MONTICELLO — Seeking to attract more qualified candidates, the Sheriff’s Office has been given permission by the county to pay more for new hires with previous experience and training.
With the agreement of the Sullivan County Patrolman’s Benevolent Association (PBA), beginning salaries will be raised for new officers if they have already been trained and/or served in another police force.
Starting salary for officers without experience or training is $43,976, rising to $46,013 the next year and then going up about $1,000 each year thereafter. Those hired with training or experience now will be paid at levels equal to current officers with the same amount of training and experience.
The increased salaries would be paid for by the costs saved from avoiding the time and expense of training new officers.
There is a catch, however: it only applies to patrol officers, not other employees of the Sheriff’s Office.
Legislators unanimously agreed to have County Manager David Fanslau enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Sheriff’s Office and PBA.
In other business
• Sullivan County Clerk Dan Briggs, just elected to office a year ago, will find nearly $10,000 more in his paycheck in 2009.
Currently paid $67,150 a year, Briggs will collect $76,350 every year through the end of his term in 2011, thanks to a unanimous vote by legislators Thursday.
The new salary – which is not binding on the Legislature should a different county clerk be elected in 2011 – met with nary a comment during a public hearing on it just prior to the legislative vote.
Unlike other salaries, the public does have the ability to force the issue to a countywide vote, should enough people sign and submit a petition demanding such by January 10.
• A public hearing on a proposed waste flow control law has been tabled for future discussion.
Legislators have more to hash out over a plan by Fanslau to recoup millions in lost revenue from trash that is generated in Sullivan County but is being disposed of outside its boundaries.
The proposed law would penalize anyone hauling trash to out-of-county facilities but would require increased cooperation between the county and local garbage removal services.