Sheriff to York County Council: Revisit vote to cut deputy jobs

Sheriff Bruce Bryant lashed out at the York County Council on Monday for what he called “11th-hour budget cuts” last month that eliminated six planned deputy jobs from his force.

Bryant said three full-time and three part-time deputy jobs, which were proposed to be added to his department for the budget year that began July 1, were cut from the 2016-17 spending plan in late June during a council meeting while he was on vacation.

York County Sheriff’s Maj. Robbie Hudgins, who attended the meeting in Bryant’s absence, was not allowed to speak to the council in June to explain why the jobs were needed, the sheriff said.

Bryant angrily told the council: “I have never stood before this council in 20 years and asked for something that I did not need. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been in law enforcement for 45 years.”

Bryant said he needs 19 full-time deputies to provide courtroom security in York County and has only 12. To fill the gap, Bryant said, deputies are being taken off road duty to staff courtrooms.

He said that puts a greater burden on remaining officers in the field. He said part-time deputies cannot be used to provide court security.

“We can’t keep putting burdens on the number of officers that we have and think we are going to keep those officers, especially with what is going on in this country today,” Bryant told the council.

Bryant told the council that the law enforcement trend today is to have two deputies per patrol car instead of one. He said he would need 60 deputies to do that.

He asked the council to go back and revisit its decision to remove the proposed deputy jobs from the budget. Those budget cuts came as the council was trying to balance its budget.

Council member Michael Johnson said after Monday’s meeting that he suggested cutting the deputy jobs because the department had seven unfilled positions. Adding three more jobs, Johnson said, “didn’t make sense to me.”

“I want to see the positions we currently have open be filled first,” Johnson said.

Council Chairman Britt Blackwell said after the meeting that the council would ask for more details from the county manager about the need for deputies and decide if the council should “revisit that situation.”

Blackwell also suggested the council might consider $100,000 in seed money to provide $5,000 signing bonuses for 20 deputies who finish their training and serve for a certain period of time.

Bryant said the budgeted salary cost of adding three more full-time deputy jobs was $107,697, or just under $36,000 for each officer, not including benefits.

Bryant told the council that with York County’s current court schedule, he expects to pay more than 500 hours of overtime between now and October to provide deputies for court security.

In other business, the council:

▪  Agreed in a third and final vote to hold a public referendum on whether to extend the council’s two-year terms to four-year staggered terms. Voters would be asked to decide on extending the terms in the November election. Council members Christi Cox and Bruce Henderson opposed the move.

During a public hearing, several local leaders and others spoke in favor of the move, saying longer relationships with elected officials and less turnover would be beneficial.

Those who spoke in favor included Rock Hill Mayor Doug Echols, Fort Mill Mayor Guynn Savage and Harvey Hawkins with the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Several people who addressed the council to support four-year terms also said the council should establish term limits. Council members have said that would require a change in state law.

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Sheriff to York County Council: Revisit vote to cut deputy jobs."