There was no budget request, the money is there. It would put more sworn law enforcement officers on the road.
Davie Sheriff’s Chief J.D. Hartman was in front of county commissioners earlier this month, requesting the “re-classification” of a part-time position.
The request was to re-classify a part-time special deputy position to  an administrative/IT (information technology) position at $12.99 per hour.
County Manager Beth Dirks said the change is needed because money is going from a part-time budget to a permanent part-time job.
Hartman said the sheriff’s department once had a contract for IT services, but discontinued it at the request of the county. He and another sworn officer have been performing those duties, to the tune of about 80 percent of a full-time officer’s time, and at a higher pay rate.
“It would relieve the sworn officer back to investigating crimes,” Hartman said. “At the rate we have grown we really need a full-time IT employee.”
Commissioner Richard Poindexter said the person had already been hired, and that “some people” had questioned a husband and wife working in the same department …