Negotiations between sheriff's deputies and county officials reached an impasse Tuesday after several months of unsuccessful negotiations. But the decision-makers took no immediate action to resolve the stalemate, saying that they want to wait until the state's troubled budget picture clears.

At the heart of the debate is how much of a raise and an improvement in their benefits package law enforcement personnel will receive under a new contract. The current contract expires at the end of the year.

The union is pushing for a 5 percent cost-of-living adjustment plus a 4 percent salary increase for deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators, and a 1 percent raise for deputy probation officers over the next three years. The union also wants the county to pay for 80 percent of health benefit costs.

Management proposes no raise and a 50-50 split in health insurance.

Both sides agree that the union proposal would cost the county more than $3 million over the next three years or a nearly 32 percent increase in compensations, while the county proposal would cost $28,162 in increased health coverage cost which equates to .3 percent of compensation increase.

Kings County Deputy Sheriff's Association president Kris Zuniga said members are only asking the county to bring their compensation up to par with other Valley counties.

"We are aware of the economic outlook, and we understand the position that the board of supervisors and the admin are in. However, we're an employee group who cannot agree to a contract of 0 percent increase," Zuniga said with a full crowd of officers behind him.

The current compensation levels are affecting retention and recruitment, Zuniga said.

To illustrate a point, Zuniga said the sheriff's department is down 10 deputies, nearly 9 percent of the 88 positions, although county officials would dispute that at least five of these positions are in the process of being filled.

Zuniga added the district attorney's office is down one out of nine personnel and the probation department is down six officers out of 46. The union represents some 130 public safety personnel.

"Kings County is quickly falling into dead last in the compensations they offer to the employees," Zuniga said. "As we continue to be surpassed by other departments, we cannot agree to a status quo. ... We never ask for the highest, just the average."

Zuniga requested mediation as the next step in the contract negotiation.

Before supervisors went into a closed-door meeting to decide what action to take, Supervisor Tony Oliveira expressed sympathy to law enforcement while painting a grim picture of the economic crisis that many suspect has yet to bottom out.

"I feel what you're saying," Oliveira told a packed house. "This is the worst in my lifetime I've seen it. We have not seen the real impact on local governments yet, because the only way the state can bail themselves out is on the backs of local governments.

"I heard the statement and I understand that. The 10 years that we've been together, we've always tried to stand for public safety," he said. "But there is not going to be a quick fix to this."

The board ultimately unanimously voted, but only to declare an impasse. The board could have chosen to seek mediation, fact-finding or other board-initiated means to resolve an impasse, but it unanimously voted to keep the negotiation open for now.

"Due to the extraordinary economic circumstances the county's facing, I recommend we resolve the impasse by not adopting either position and take no action at this time," Supervisor Alene Taylor said as she made a motion.

This means that it would give both the union and the board more "flexibility," said human resources director Alison Picard.

State legislators are continuing to meet in governor-called special sessions to close the $11 billion-plus budget hole. Local governments fear local budgets would likely be cut even further. The implication was that supervisors will revisit the issue once the budget settles in Sacramento.

Meanwhile, there is a clear disagreement on how Kings County law enforcement salaries fare in the Valley.

Both Picard and Zuniga said the other side did not dispute their numbers.

Based on the data provided by Picard, a deputy sheriff is making 3.55 percent less than the median salary of 11 counties, including Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties as well as similar-size counties such as Butte and Yolo. A sheriff sergeant in Kings County makes 5.85 less than the median, the data showed.

But the survey indicated deputy probation officers in the county made 2.28-3.82 percent more than the median and that DA investigators' salaries were right at the median salary of the 11 counties.

Zuniga maintained by the time deputy sheriffs in Madera and Tulare counties finish their contracts in 18 months, Kings County deputies would be making the lowest salaries in the Valley.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

(Nov. 27, 2008)