Deputy sheriffs' association delays raises

The Sutter County Deputy Sheriffs' Association has agreed to delay a 3 percent pay increase to help offset budget shortfalls.

The association, which includes sheriff's deputies, correctional officers, investigators and other law enforcement personnel, had been scheduled to receive the cost-of-living adjustment Saturday based on a bargaining agreement in 2007 that expires at the end of this year. Instead, the agreement has been extended through December 2010 and the raises have been delayed until June 2010.

Supervisor Jim Whiteaker announced the move on Monday. The move is estimated to save the county $314,000 in the 2009-10 budget year, which begins July 1.

The delayed raises will make at least a small dent in the amount of money Sutter County must pull from its reserve funds to balance its 2009-10 budget without service cuts, said Stephanie Larsen, the assistant county administrator.

The county expects to dip into its reserves because of expected cuts in state payouts as California grapples with a nearly $25 billion budget deficit, crashing tax revenues, and legislative gridlock over closing the gap.