KALISPELL — The Flathead County Deputy Sheriff's Association has been in contract negotiations with Flathead County for over a year.
While some changes to the contract have been agreed on, the biggest issue still on the table is wages.
"We got into this career, certainly not for the money, we do this job to protect the citizens, and we greatly enjoy that. But it's extremely discouraging for the deputies that we have that are living paycheck to paycheck, which makes bringing new bodies on difficult unless they already own a house here," said Flathead County Deputy Sheriff's Association President Spencer Claridge. "We've a lot of people have had to turn down this job because of the inability to be able to support themselves or their families,"
National Fraternal Order of Police labor specialist Sam Christiansen — who has been aiding in contract negotiations for over a decade — says that the longest negotiation he has seen in the past is five months and this has already been going on for over a year.
Christiansen tells MTN the fight for a wage increase is directly correlates to the recruitment and retention of officers for the Flathead County Sheriff's Department and claims the county is not giving the officers what they want and need.
"Well, the county's been playing hardball on giving that money. They say they don't have money, but their financials say they have some money," said Christiansen. "The sheriff actually had $5.4 million left over in fiscal year, 23 out of his $12.4 million budget. You know, where'd that money go? To go back in the general fund and go back into the special sheriff fund. You know, the key is, these deputies need to earn a living that they can afford to live in Flathead County."
According to Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino, the extra $5.4 million mentioned by Christiansen goes to cover operational costs of the Sheriff’s Office from July to November before money from property taxes becomes available for use.
Claridge told MTN that due to the low wages, some deputies are living in trailers or their parents' basement because they cannot afford other housing
The Flathead County Deputy Sheriff's Association is currently arguing for an additional $60,000 for the budget — or $120,000 if you incorporate overtime pay — increasing wages by one to $2,000 a year per employee. Their pleas for more money are not being heard by the county.
"You do this job because you want to be a service to the public. The deputies want to do that, but they also want to receive a reasonable compensation and support from the county," said Christiansen.
Flathead County officials declined an interview with MTN but issued a statement on the negotiation saying, “Flathead County generally refrains from publicly discussing details of ongoing negotiations. In the spirit of good faith, we remain committed to finding a mutually beneficial solution for all parties involved.”
A meeting was held on Tuesday, but no agreement was reached and the contract negotiations are continuing. The next meeting is scheduled for October 10 2024.
