In a work session held on Thursday, Branch County Board of Commissioners told Administrator Bud Norman to keep two additional Sheriff’s Department Road Patrol deputies in the proposed 2020 county budget. Original estimates indicated that each new deputy would cost the county $125,000 which would include wages and benefits along with new vehicle, uniform and pension costs.

Sheriff John Pollack told various media outlets that additional deputies would allow his department to expand their service hours by adding one deputy to each of the 12 hour platoons.

He pointed out his current deputies are handling 28 percent more complaints during the last three years compared to the first three years after Sheriff Department layoffs. The decision did come with some fears about dipping into the county’s fund balance which is designed to fund the county for 60 days in case of a catastrophic condition in which revenues are not coming in.

The 2020 budget is scheduled to be formally adopted by Commissioners on December 19th, 2019.