Graver shares history, basis for ‘Back the Blue’ law

     With the Jones County Compensation Board recommending a 33 percent salary increase for the Jones County Sheriff position, Sheriff Greg Graver wanted to explain how this situation came about…

     Graver’s current salary is $96,078.11. The 33 percent increase, if approved by the Jones County Board of Supervisors, would bring that to $127,783.89.

     During the last legislative session, the Iowa Legislature passed Senate File 342, commonly referred to as the “Back the Blue” law. A small section of that bill addressed county sheriff salaries: “In setting the salary of the county sheriff, the county compensation board shall set the sheriff’s salary so that it is comparable to salaries paid to professional law enforcement administrators and command officers of the state patrol, the division of criminal investigation (DCI) of the department of public safety (DPS), and city police chiefs employed by cities of similar population to the population of the county.”

     Graver pointed out that the language within the law changed from “…compensation board shall consider setting…” to “shall set.” Furthermore, the three professions of comparison include the word “and,” meaning the sheriff’s salary must be comparable to all three, not just one position.

     “They (the board of supervisors) have to consider all three entities,” Graver said. “The state took the discretion away. It’s more direct and by the law now.”

     Graver provided such comparables, noting that his position is similar to that of a major working with the Iowa State Patrol, as well as a public safety assistant chief within DCI. Respectively, those salaries are $130,103 and $127,265.

     “I fall into the major category based on my years of experience and time in this position,” explained Graver.

     He’s been with the Jones County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years, and sheriff for 10.

     Just noting both of those positions, not including a police chief from a city with a similar population to that of Jones County (20,681), Graver’s salary was about $30,000 lower.

     Bringing police chiefs into the comparison, Graver took the five cities with a higher population and the five cities with a lower population than Jones County. The average police chief’s salary is $135,929, again, much higher than that of his.

     Graver explained adding the police chief comparable was a push from the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association (ISSDA).

     “The data showed that the chiefs’ pay was way ahead of the sheriffs’,” he said.

     Graver said county sheriffs tend to cover more territory than a city police chief. On top of that, in Jones County, the sheriff is also responsible for the jail, dispatch, and county contracts with various communities.

     “I have more employees than a police chief,” he added. “There are a number of people I supervise and still a disparity in pay.”

     There are 30 full-time and five part-time/on-call employees working for the sheriff’s office.

     “The jail is a burden to the county, to my position, and a liability to patrol,” admitted Graver.

     He said police chiefs can make so much more because they don’t have a two-tiered system setting their salary like a county sheriff does, working with the Compensation Board and board of supervisors.

     “I have to plea my case,” Graver continued.

     The Comp Board initially recommended a 37 percent salary increase for Graver. That was voted down. They next recommended 29.5 percent. That was also voted down. The 33 percent was approved.

     Graver said the reason it was suggested at 37 percent to begin with, the Comp Board was taking into account the fact that the supervisors would likely reduce the recommendation. If the board chose to do so, every elected official’s salary would also take a hit by that same percentage.

     “The last nine years, the board of supervisors cut the recommendation from the Comp Board seven times,” noted Graver. “We’re always falling behind (salary-wise). A huge gap (in pay) has developed.”

     Before the 37 percent, Graver said the Comp Board discussed a 40-percent increase and 10 percent for the other elected officials, knowing the supervisors would cut that down to more workable figures.

     “A cut would put us where we’re supposed to be,” Graver said. “But the Comp Board didn’t agree on that.”

     Admittedly, he said the recommended 33 percent takes him out of the average salary in comparison to all three professions.

     So, should the supervisors choose not to approve the recommendation or decrease it even more, the new law opens them up to civil action on behalf of the sheriff. The county could also subject itself to a loss of state funds for such projects as roads, bridges, election equipment, etc. No state funding would be taken away from the sheriff’s department, though.

     “That’s the ugly part of it,” said Graver.

     Graver said the new law was put in place for a couple of reasons:

     • Retaining county sheriffs with more incentives

     • To make sheriff election races more competitive

     “How do make the position more attractive?” he proposed. “Pay!”

     Several months ago, Graver commented that he didn’t see himself running for re-election. Now, that decision is under heavy re-consideration.

     “Competition is not ideal for me,” he admitted. “But it gives a more professional pool of sheriff candidates. It’s good for the taxpayers.”

     Graver said more qualified people will hopefully want to run for office with a salary like this.

     “You’ll see more competitive races and a much better performance with the sheriff,” he said.

     The salary of the chief deputy within sheriff’s offices is also tied to that of the sheriff. By state code, the chief deputy makes 85 percent of the sheriff’s salary. Brian Eckhardt, Jones County chief deputy, currently makes $81,666. If the 33 percent pay increase for Graver was approved, Eckhardt could also see his pay increase to $108,616.

     “In my absence, by code, the chief deputy assumes the power of the sheriff,” Graver pointed out of those job duties.

     He also anticipates seeing all of the deputies’ pay increase.

     “We need to be more competitive with police department jobs,” he said. “We’re fighting for job applications with the public sector offering crazy money and incentives.”

     Graver feels bad that the board of supervisors were put in this difficult situation, but he said it ultimately comes down to following the state law. He said the money is there in the county’s General Fund to cover the salary increase; he doesn’t see it as a hardship on Jones County.

     “It could be a problem for other counties who are in the position that they might have to raise taxes.

     “I want the public to understand why this happening,” continued Graver. “It’s not just in Jones County; there are pay issues all across the state. That’s why this law was enacted.”