The Marion County Sheriff’s Office will offer a sign-on bonus up to $10,000 for new deputies. Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt spoke on the issue at the recent Board of Supervisors meeting, and cited issues such as officer retention, few resources for, and the high cost of making new hires. Sandholdt told the supervisors that he has seen deputies chase bigger opportunities for better pay, and that he wants a way to keep good employees around.

This program stems from Sandholdt recently losing two quality employees who left for better-paying jobs. Sandholdt recognized that while Marion County may not always have the budget for larger salaries, providing more lucrative benefits would be a way to incentivize sticking around.

Stay tuned for more information on this sign-on bonus on an upcoming Let’s Talk Knoxville.