KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Over the last few years, Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said he's been losing employees because of low salaries. Now he's asking for a 30% budget increase. This is the first time the sheriff has made a request this high.
At a roundtable last week, the sheriff spoke about school safety, recruiting, and retention.
"I'm going to make sure that we do everything here in Knox County to make sure our schools are safe," Spangler said.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said he wouldn't go for it.
"We'd like all of our people to be paid more," Jacobs said. "But sadly, the only way you can do that is by raising taxes and that's something I've pledged not to do."
Right now, the starting salary for patrol officers is around $44,000 a year.
"I think within my budget, what I asked for was a starting salary of $50,000," he said.
Jacobs said this increase would mean that the UOP payments would go up $60 million over the next 20 years, and Knox County would have to devote $3 million additionally to pensions.
The sheriff said he was willing to go the extra mile with the extra money. He said this would be money well deserved for people who help save lives.
"At least for right now, I'll give up 50 positions in our corrections and eight positions on patrol, just so we could find money to make sure that we find it for raises more heavily," Spangler said.
The mayor said he has to look at the big picture. Since he's been in office, he said he's already given a 17% increase in their budget and $6,000 in cash bonuses.
"People are going to try to pit the sheriff against the mayor and that's not the case," Jacobs said. "Sheriff's a good man, and I have a lot of respect for him. He's advocating for his people. But nevertheless, my job as mayor is to see everything, the whole."