This SC sheriff says his employees need more money. Here’s how he’s fighting for it

The sheriff of Greenville County is involved in an all-out effort to get his employees pay raises and he’s taking it straight to the people.

Sheriff Hobart Lewis said he has worked all six years he’s been the elected sheriff to get Greenville County to fund significant raises as the county has moved from one of the best paying agencies to 31st in the state.

The starting salary for a deputy is $51,438. The State Law Enforcement Division pays $58,000 to $61,000, according to job postings. Richland County Sheriff’s Department base salary is about $53,578.

Lewis is asking for a $12,000 raise for every one of the 760 employees, not an across the board percentage, which means a different amount for those on the lower end of the pay scale than the upper.

Typically, deputies are treated like all other county government workers and given a percentage increase, usually about 3% a year.

The across the board pay raises would cost about $12 million. Lewis said salaries amount to 92% of his budget, so there’s nothing to cut for raises.

He said it is commonplace for people who have worked in Greenville County to go elsewhere for more money. Regularly employees say they are leaving for more money elsewhere, saying the increase will pay for child care or their mortgage.

“We should not be begging to council to keep up,” Lewis said in his Roll Call podcast.

His goal is to get the department into the top three for pay in the state.

“I’ve asked for a pay increase every year, and now we’re taking it to the people,” he said.

Lewis said he is the highest paid sheriff in the state at $215,000 annually. Greenville County Administrator Joe Kernell makes $306,385 and is the highest-paid county employee in South Carolina.

Lewis said the pay makes it harder for the agency to hire.

If the trend continues, they will be forced to cut extra services like community patrol, the homeless unit or opioid response unit, he said.

He has put the names and numbers of each council member on his website and has asked for people to call them to say public safety is a priority.

Council chair Benton Blount told Fox Carolina News law enforcement is a priority, but the county has 2,600 employees and 39 departments.

A raise like Lewis is suggesting is “really a tough thing to do.”

The proposal now is a 5% across the board raise for all county employees.

Lewis said if he can’t secure the funding he’s asking for, he’ll be back next year.

Then, he said, he’ll be asking for $16,000.