Negotiations continue between the Grant County Sheriff’s Department Union and the Grant County Council.
The I.U.P.A. Local 825 rejected the latest Grant County Council offer, according to a union press release.
The Union says the rejected proposal is partly due to the council’s failure to recognize the county’s dispatchers even though they are under contract with the rest of the members of the Grant County Sheriff’s Department.
According to union Treasurer Kyle Beal, the department has lost 16 deputies in the last 4.5 years due to low wages for Sheriff Department employees, adding that nearby departments pay far higher salaries.
According to Beal, low pay results in lower quality job applicants, longer response times to 911 calls and fewer vacations for employees.
County Council President Shane Middlesworth declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations, by stating that it’s not appropriate for the council to discuss the negotiations until they’re a “done deal.”
The next meeting of the Council is Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Council Chambers, where public input about the ongoing contract dispute will be allowed.