Bibb County Sheriff seeks 6% pay raise for deputies to compete with Middle Georgia salaries

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis says his deputies need to be paid more, and he's pushing for a 6% pay increase.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Bibb County Sheriff David Davis says his deputies need to be paid more, and he’s pushing for a 6% pay increase.

In an interview with 41NBC on Thursday, Davis expressed his frustration about the current salary for his employees, saying other agencies in Middle Georgia are offering much higher salaries, which makes it difficult for them to attract and retain deputies.

Last week, Sheriff David Davis sent Mayor Lester Miller and Macon-Bibb County Commissioners a letter requesting the pay raise.

On Thursday, he said that when neighboring counties with smaller law enforcement agencies offer higher salaries, it’s “disheartening and frustrating.” Davis also expressed his hope that Macon-Bibb commissioners will vote in favor of the pay raise so the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office can be the premier law enforcement agency in the region.

Currently, the starting salary for a certified Bibb County deputy is around $38,000. With the increase, non-certified officers would get a little more than $40,000, and certified officers would be close to $49,000.

Davis believes the pay raise is essential to attract and retain the best deputies and to make Bibb County a competitive destination for law enforcement.

“Being the largest law enforcement agency in the region and with the largest population, their efforts should be compensated at an amount comparable to their status in the region,” he said.

Davis says the last pay raise happened two years ago. Commissioners will vote on the fiscal budget in May.