Public hearings will be held this summer on the biggest increase since Hunter's 1991 approved budget, which was a 16 percent rise.
County commissioners have the final say on the budget.
The plan has already paid off, said Finance Director Crystal Kinzel. A study paid for by the county showed that the Sheriff's Office was 24 percent behind other agencies in wages. Already, the higher salaries have allowed the agency, which has 90 vacancies, to attract 131 people since the plan went into effect last year, Kinzel said. The agency has 1,077 authorized positions. It's absolutely helping.