Sheriff makes case for raising deputy wages
Residents take park in public comment at a Mineral County Commissioners meeting. Sheriff Ryan Funke spoke on his concern of losing staff to Missoula. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
The cost of living is stretching wallets, but for the men and women doing their best to make public safety a top priority in the county, it is taking a toll.
The hourly rate paid to the employees in the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office is causing some deputies to have a second job in order to make ends meet. At a recent Mineral County commissioners meeting with standing-room only in support of the Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Ryan Funke told the story.
“I’ve lost two deputies in the past month due to better pay in Missoula and elsewhere," he explained. "We can’t get anyone to apply when they see the hourly rate at $22.46 an hour."
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