$105K grant sought to fund deputy pay hikes

The Callaway County Commission Tuesday approved a request by Callaway County Sheriff Dennis Crane to seek a $105,000 state grant to provide pay raises to deputies.

Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann said the grant, if approved, will be funded through the Missouri Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund.

Jungermann said the Callaway County Commission approved the application for the grant.

The commission must approve the grant request to the state. If the grant is approved, the county must pay the money for salaries and then is reimbursed by the state through the special Missouri Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund.

Crane said the fund was started almost two years ago with the aim of increasing the annual starting salaries of deputies throughout the state to at least $28,000.

Crane said the salary supplementation fund is financed by taking fees collected by sheriffs throughout the state for serving summons, subpoenas and other papers and placing it into the state fund.

Crane said the fund has produced more money than anticipated and this has created the possibility of funding not only starting salaries for deputies but also to provide pay raises to existing deputies.

All sheriff's offices throughout the state meeting certain qualifications can apply for the grants to help boost salaries of deputies.

The special state fund is administered and grants to counties are approved by a half dozen sheriffs serving on a board administering the Missouri Sheriff Methamphetamine Relief Taskforce (MoSMART).

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.