Christmas came early for law enforcement personnel employed by Dale County last week.
According to the Dothan Eagle, members of the Dale County Commission unanimously approved a 12% raise for certified Dale County sheriff's deputies on Aug. 30 to help with recruitment and retention at the Dale County Sheriff's Office.
That raise is in addition to a 15% raise for all county employees passed by the commission on Aug. 9.
"This would not be possible without every department doing their part in budget management," Steve Mckinnon, Dale County Commission Chairman, said in a statement after the first pay increase passed. "This is the largest pay increase in the history of Dale County."
According to the Dothan Eagle, the raise for all county employees goes into effect today. The raise for certified law enforcement will begin at the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. Therefore, certified law enforcement in Dale County will essentially be getting a 27% increase once both cost-of-living adjustments start showing up in their paychecks.
Both raises are being paid for with funds from the Alabama Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT). The Dale County administrator didn't return a request for comment about how much the raises would cost.
According to WDHN, the raises will allow Dale County to pay a starting wage of $18 per hour for certified law enforcement. A certified law enforcement officer is someone who has completed the training requirements of the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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