Commissioners Approve Sheriff’s Bridge Retirement Plan

After 5 years of futile efforts, the Hamilton County sheriff’s department won approval Wednesday for an early retirement program.
Scores of deputies from his office turned out as Sheriff Jim Hammond made his appeal before the County Commission.
The decision was not unanimous.

Sheriff Jim Hammond made his appeal before commissioners. He pointed out that older officers sometimes have problems dealing with criminals, and he wants to make it possible for them to retire at age 55, if they have 25 years of service.
The drawback is, that program would cost 350-thousand dollars a year and it is considered by some to be an unfunded mandate.

TIM BOYD, COMMISSIONER “I can’t convince myself as an elected official that it’s fair for my constituents, I don’t apologize for this but I can’t support the bridge plan.”

WARREN MACKEY, COMMISSIONER “These men and women, they are putting their lives on the line every day..to do for me what I think to be the most important function of the government which is to protect its people, Sheriff I will be in support of that bridge plan.”

JIM FIELDS, COMMISSIONER “Unless the commissioners up here are willing to vote for a tax increase at some point in time, it would be irresponsible to pass this without that…issue in front of us.”

Commissioner Sabrena Turner Smedley figured the county will find a way to raise that money for the bridge program. The commission then killed a motion to delay a decision, and moved on to a final vote.

(COMMISSION AUDIO) “MR. Chairman Bankston…Yes! Motion adopted Mr. Chairman. Thank you, I know its been a tough decision, I think its been right decision. ”

Moments later, the sheriff and deputies held an informal celebration outside commission chambers.

SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND, HAMILTON COUNTY “I certainly understand why some of them did what they did, but unfortunately there was politics being played against what was the right thing to do, but it came out in our favor.”

That program won’t go into effect until August.
That’s to give sheriff’s department employees an opportunity to plan their retirements.