Sheriff's lieutenants getting promotion
JANESVILLE — Six Rock County sheriff's lieutenants soon will become captains, a new title that will make them non-union employees and help them work more efficiently, officials said.
Lieutenants work under a labor contract that requires them to work during the day, but they must be paid overtime if they're needed at night to investigate incidents such as the recent home invasion robbery or fatal crash, Sheriff Bob Spoden said.
Under the new scenario, captains won't earn overtime, but they will be allowed flex time to take an hour off for every hour of overtime they work, he said.
"We anticipate that this will reduce our cost of overtime and give us the flexibility to assign these captains to various tasks throughout the day and evening," Spoden said.
The Rock County Board approved the change Thursday night.
The lieutenants will earn about the same pay when they become captains, said Lt. Jude Maurer, former president of the union, the Rock County Deputy Sheriff's Supervisors Association.
Lieutenants earn a base salary of about $70,000 a year, but they earn an average of $13,000 a year in overtime pay, he said.
When they become captains, their salaries will be $83,000 a year with no opportunity for overtime, Maurer said.
"It's easier for the county to budget for our positions because they don't have to factor in potential overtime," he said. "And a lot of our overtime was due to natural events that we had no control over."
The change also will solve any conflicts of interest with having lieutenants evaluate or discipline sergeants, even though the two are in the same union, Maurer said.
All six lieutenants volunteered to leave the union, he said. And the Wisconsin Professional Police Association didn't fight the change.
The change means the sheriff's office will no longer have supervisors holding the rank of lieutenant, but the job title still will exist in case lieutenants are desired in the future, Maurer said.
The department's 22 sergeants will remain in the supervisors union.
The lieutenant position has evolved in the last couple years, Spoden said. Lieutenants used to work in shifts, but they now have more managerial and administrative roles.
The title of captain is more fitting for their work, he said.
Feb 15, 2009 at 2:18 p.m.
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There is something majorily wrong with this picture. The Corrections Officers go in excess of 2 years waiting for a raise and they are giving the Captains a $13,000 a year raise. They depend on the Correction Officers to maintain order and safety within the Jail, but yet, the Corrections Officers are the last to get raises and the percentage if usually 3% or less. Again, there is something majorily wrong with this picture.
Jan 27, 2009 at 11:18 a.m.
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Am I reading this right?? Thy made 70k and then overtime of 13k. Now they are being paid the exact amount (83k) as when they put in overtime?? So now they get to be paid that higher amount for less work??? How does this make sense??? Boy! someone was drunk when they approved this either that or they don't know how to add!!!
Jan 27, 2009 at 9:54 a.m.
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Too bad there is no union for the for "Captains". These will probably be the first positions eliminated (after retirements) when the re-aligning begins next year. Its too bad the rest of the employees had to settle for 3% or less of a raise.
Jan 24, 2009 at 9:41 p.m.
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It's also no surprise that the county board continues to go along with this type of thing.
Apparently their math skills are lacking also.
Just how is the taxpayers making out in this deal?
Jan 24, 2009 at 10:33 a.m.
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This reduces the cost of overtime, but shifts it to salaries. When the lieutenants were putting in overtime, they were working extra hours. Now they are going to be paid in advance for those extra hours whether they are needed or not and allowed to take an hour off for each hour attributed to overtime. They get paid more to work less and the taxpayer saves nothing. This is a bad deal for the taxpayer, but what else is new?
Jan 24, 2009 at 9:49 a.m.
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I've made a mistake. They are not getting a 18% plus raise rather they are getting just 18% plus more in wages. The raise they bargained for will then be still forth coming.
All this for no more work because as they tell us, if they work an hour "extra" they then get that hour "extra" off at another time. AMAZING!
Jan 24, 2009 at 7:03 a.m.
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We must have a lot of sheriffs on this post. All of you must be experts at the inner workings of the department to give your expert opinions.........NOT.
Jan 24, 2009 at 3:47 a.m.
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WOW! This is unbelievable. The Sheriff gives these people a six dollar an hour raise (18%) for absolutely nothing. What is only worse then the Sheriff asking for such a bogus amount is our county board going along with it.
Reality, you are correct, the Sheriff will now be back asking for 18% plus increase for himself in salary and for the rest of the upper management. Then they will want a raise on top of that, mark my word. This is so WRONG
Jan 24, 2009 at 1:02 a.m.
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Spoden led everyone to believe he was going to have an open door policy. Quite the contrary. He beccane the "big guy" not really knowing that he had constraints. His wife is a power seeker so they are two of a kind. It's too bad because Bob could have been a good - peoples - politician. Now he's no different than all the rest. I'm didappointed.
Jan 23, 2009 at 11:36 p.m.
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I find it humorous that the UAW lemmings backed such an anti-union candidate from the start. He was that way as chief deputy too.
Jan 23, 2009 at 8:59 p.m.
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One of Spodens new Captains was just promoted to Lt. after being a Sgt for a very short time. He went from a salary of about $61000.00 to $83.000. It' unimagelable that this would happen and it's even more unbelievable that the County Board would approve it. I orignally voted for Spoden, but now see that he is a political amoral individual like the rest of them.
Jan 23, 2009 at 5:37 p.m.
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And just think, Spoden got the UNION GM vote. Now that they're gone, bust up a union in his own shop. Nice!
Jan 23, 2009 at 4:24 p.m.
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And you don't see him going to bat for pay increases for anyone else below his chosen few.
Jan 23, 2009 at 4:22 p.m.
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Remember that Spoden is a politician first. He is promoting people so there are high ranking decision makers around him. That way, when things go south or something gets screwed up, he can blame it on someone else. Thus, he won't look like the bad guy which will help him get elected next term. He's doing this all for himself. He is obviously not doing it for the taxpayers.
Jan 23, 2009 at 1:35 p.m.
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My guess is that with this pay increase for "Captains", the Commanders, Chief Deputy and Sheriff will all need a raise in next year's budget, as it wouldn't be right for them to make so close to the same wages as their Captains. This is just a ploy to get an increase in pay for the higher-ups. What a joke. So much for the tax levy......
Jan 23, 2009 at 1:26 p.m.
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Spend money to save money...I think that is a common economic situation.
Aprox.$39 bucks an hour/plus benefits for a 40 hour work week 52 weeks a year.
Makes the Ford seem pretty cheap.
Jan 23, 2009 at 1:08 p.m.
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They also bought a FORD EXPLORER last night.
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