Monroe County commissioners approve raises for Sheriff’s office & Emergency services

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FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Deputies, jailers, and E-911 operators in Monroe County are getting raises.

The Monroe County Board of Commissioners posted that a vote was approved unanimously to grant raises for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office that will be effective on the 1st of August this year.

Sheriff Brad Freeman with MCSO said that their office has 16 approved but vacant positions, and that a recent salary review indicates that their pay is significantly below nearby law enforcement agencies in Fayette County, Jones County, Upson County, and the Cordele Police Department.

The board of commissioners also approved a vote 3 to 1 to grant raises for Monroe County Emergency Services, firefighters/EMTs, and paramedics. This raise will also be effective August 1st.

MCES Chief Matt Jackson says Emergency Services currently has 10 vacant full-time positions, including EMT and paramedic positions– he says its necessary to have at least 12 paramedics on staff with a minimum of 4 per shift in order to provide advanced ambulance assistance. These vacancies have made it to where they are unable to staff the Russellville fire station, thus keeping much of the southwestern portion of Monroe County from receiving service.

Both agencies made arguments at the meeting that with these raises, hopefully new hires will come to fill the vacancies.

To learn more about both raises, Monroe County Board of Commissioners’ posts are here:

 

Categories: Featured, Local News, Monroe County