Seneca County leaders said Monday they “value and support” Sheriff’s deputies but cannot afford the pay increases sought by the Police Benevolent Association, as the union moves to file impasse and retired law-enforcement leaders warn that years of underpayment have hollowed out the force and eroded core services.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Michael Enslow claims the county offered what it views as a fair package, but the PBA signaled it will seek mediation and, if needed, arbitration. Enslow said deputies, investigators and sergeants received an average 40.4% raise across the last contract worth $1.59 million over three years, that the county pays 80% to 85% of health-care premiums — up to about $25,347 per employee — and that the PBA’s current proposal averages a 37.56% base-salary increase over three years, adding about $1.88 million to payroll. He said last year’s sub-10% tax increase relied on drawing down reserves and called that approach unsustainable.
Union leaders and former sheriffs counter that the numbers ignore the cost of attrition and overtime driven by uncompetitive wages. Deputies have worked without a ratified contract since Jan. 1 and say the office remains four full-time positions short, which has meant fewer School Resource Officers, the loss of a dedicated narcotics investigator, thinner road-patrol coverage, longer response times and mandated overtime that fuels burnout and morale problems. The union says deputies with the same civil-service titles in nearby agencies make tens of thousands more — often $55,000 to $60,000 more at the top end — prompting trained officers to leave soon after the county pays to recruit and develop them.
The PBA also points to $650,000 returned by the Sheriff’s Office to the county’s general fund last fall — money originally budgeted for programs and vehicles — as evidence that funds exist to close part of the gap. Deputies argue the county is also “saving” salary and fringe costs each day the four vacancies remain unfilled, and say those dollars could help fund parity adjustments.
Salary comparisons assembled by former Sheriff Tom Fox show Seneca Falls Police starting pay at $60,553 with a top step of $81,979 and Waterloo Police at $70,678 with a top step just over $81,000. By contrast, Seneca County deputies start at $54,460 and top out at $71,959. Fox notes that New York State Troopers start at more than $109,000 and peak above $127,000 for the same frontline work, while some supervisory roles in neighboring agencies outpace Seneca’s by $30,000.
Former Undersheriff Gary Sullivan, who helped lead a years-long accreditation overhaul after a period of scandal and low morale, said the county risks reversing those gains. He cited the office’s compliance with more than 460 best-practice standards and said accreditation, insurance savings, jail boarding revenue and grants were built on professional staffing levels that are now undercut by pay. He warned that morale decline leads to poor decisions and that recruitment will remain weak until salaries are competitive.
Former Sheriff Tim Luce said Seneca does not need to match large-county wages dollar for dollar but must get close enough that a deputy “thinks twice” before transferring. He said chronic vacancies raise overtime costs, leave deputies working tired, and take more than a year to replace because of academy, field training and probationary timelines.
Sheriff Tim Thompson told supervisors earlier this year that vacancies have already forced reductions in road-patrol coverage, drug-enforcement staffing and other operations. He said applicants and lateral candidates have declined offers because the pay scale lags comparable agencies and that, as a co-employer, the county must prioritize employees “as an employer’s best asset.” Thompson also noted he cut $650,000 from the 2025 budget and said his office has operated as fiscally as possible while maintaining essential public-safety services.
The union says 35 PBA positions exist on paper, but seven are funded externally. Three SRO posts reimbursed at 75% by school districts, one deputy fully funded by del Lago Resort & Casino, and two court-security roles paid by Court Administration. It leaves fewer county-funded slots to absorb rising call loads and specialized work. Leaders argue the county’s “low-tax tradition” has shifted costs into turnover, training and overtime, and that the real fiscal risk is continued attrition.
Enslow said the board remains committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility and invited public comment at upcoming meetings. The PBA said it welcomes mediation but maintains that the crisis is of the county’s own making, and that parity with neighboring agencies is the only durable fix to stabilize staffing and restore full services.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].