COLUMBUS, Ind. – At the Bartholomew County Council work session on Monday evening, Sheriff’s Merit Board president Susan Fye and OneAmerica actuary Stan Brown presented updated benefits package proposals for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) to the board.
One proposal is that if a deputy is killed in the line of duty, benefits to surviving family member would increase. The plan suggests the amount the spouse should receive to be upped to $1000 per month and children to $200 a month.
Another recommendation from the BCSO representatives at the meeting was the implementation of a Deferred Retirement Option Plan for department employees.
The sheriff’s department also asked for a reduction in the amount of time a sheriff must serve in the department from eight years and 30 days to just eight years. Councilmember and former sheriff Mark Gorbett, as well as current BCSO Sheriff Matt Myers, noted that across the nation it is now commonplace for sheriff offices to select someone to fill the top position from outside, often from a police department. Their contention is that eight year’s service is sufficient for deserving of a pension.