Sheriff Softens Resignation Talk As Richardson County Raises Deputy Pay

FALLS CITY – Forty days after openly discussing his possible resignation, Richardson County Sheriff Don Pounds left a county board meeting Tuesday feeling optimistic.

Pounds: “They decided to make an hourly wage adjustment for the salaries on the deputies and they’re going to look at a seven-year step pay plan in the future.”

The sheriff’s salary remains unchanged by Tuesday’s action, but deputy wages will increase by over $3 an hour.

Pounds had talked about his possible resignation last May. He said he had lost three deputies in six months because of pay issues.

Pounds: “Things are more encouraging than they were then. The sheriffs in the whole state are way underpaid. When I can go and be a janitor at the school and,  with the 100 percent family health insurance make way more, I’m considering looking at other places.”

Pounds also opposed a move by the county board to purchase new record keeping software that would be kept on a computer server at the Falls City Police Department.

The sheriff said he hopes the county board will realize the benefits of establishing the CRIMES software at the sheriff’s office and continuing the momentum toward modernizing the county’s law enforcement.

Pounds: “I want to make this a good place. This is where I grew up and I like Richardson County and I want to stay here and I like what I’m doing and I believe we’re doing a good job, but I need the support to keep making this a better place.”

Commissioner John Caverzagie said he is interesting in communications upgrades so that  a 911 dispatcher does not have to make separate calls to different emergency responders.