The Carroll County Delegation approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement for the Sheriff's deputies and dispatch staff, voting unanimously to adopt terms that include large first-year raises and changes to benefits.

Representative Smith, who moved approval, said she reviewed the wage information requested from the sheriff and "overwhelmingly support[ed] it," adding, "Frankly, I'm shocked how underpaid they currently are." The delegation voted 5-0 to approve the contract.

Sheriff (name not specified in the meeting record) summarized the agreement during the meeting: "It's a 3 year contract. The first year of 2025 ... [many employees] would receive between 14% and 20% in this batch" and then "the second and third year are 5% across the board." He also described stipends for assignments such as field training officers and firearms instructors.

Under the agreement the county's share of health insurance for deputies and dispatch would increase so that employees pay 15% of premiums instead of 20%, meaning the county would pay about 85% of premiums rather than 80% under the prior cost-share arrangement. The contract also adjusts vacation accrual so some employees receive more paid time off earlier in their service: for example, new hires will receive 10 days of vacation in their first year rather than waiting until the second or third year for that step-up.

The sheriff told the delegation the contract language is already reflected in the department's budget and said the terms are intended to address recruitment and retention problems. Delegation members discussed the budgetary impacts during the session; the sheriff and members noted some salary-related lines in the overall county budget will be adjusted to reflect the new pay scales.

The motion to approve the collective bargaining agreement was offered by Representative Smith and seconded on the floor; the roll call recorded five votes in favor and none opposed. The agreement is effective April 1, 2025, according to the sheriff's presentation.

The delegation also discussed ancillary budget implications, including how overtime, special details, and revenue from special details may be affected; the sheriff indicated some related budget lines would be amended during the session.

With the vote, the delegation authorized the three-year contract to take effect per its terms and directed county staff to reflect the changes in the sheriff's budget lines and payroll accounting.

The meeting contained broader budget deliberations across several departments, but this article covers only the sheriff's collective bargaining agreement and the formal vote that adopted it.