Sheriff goes to social media to talk about new building, deputy pay

Sheriff Gary Driskell took to Fadebook on Thursday for a live-streamed town hall meeting. The discussion centered on mental health, pay for deputies and the new Sheriff’s Office building planned for Centerville.
Driskell, Chief Deputy John Kahl and David Spencer, the public information officer, said they’re excited about the new building that will bring the Criminal Division together in one place, along with the Sheriff’s Office motor pool.
Spencer talked about the advantages of having a place to perform investigations on vehicles in one climate-controlled location.
The ease of communication will help deputies provide better service, Driskell said.
“The building that we’re all so excited about will help us do that,” the sheriff said.
“What we want to build and provide for our people and citizens is a professional law enforcement environment,” Kahl said.
The preliminary work for the building on U.S. 90 in Centerville is underway, and construction is expected to take about a year. The cost will be $6 million-$6.5 million, Driskell said.
That led an online questioner to ask when the request for a property tax is coming given the $6.5 million price tag.
“It’s not going to be anytime soon,” Driskell said. “We have the funds to pay for the building already.”
The office may use bonds to borrow money for some of the cost, he said. Otherwise, the office has economized to put it in position to construct the building.
Belt-tightening was also the key to answering more viewer questions about the pay rate for deputies.
The starting pay for deputies has been raised from $11 per hour to $16 in about four years.
Pay across the board is up 38% in four years, Kahl said.
The Sheriff’s Office also offers incentive pay for some specialties, help with college tuition for deputies who keep their grades up in fields applicable to law enforcement, and extra pay for long-time deputies.
Another questioner asked about the role of mental health.
Driskell said deputies have undergone training in how to deal with emotionally troubled people, who pose a challenge for law enforcement.
“We end up handling mental health issues,” Driskell said. “These people don’t need to be in jail.”