Commissioners Reaffirm their Support of the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office

Rockingham County, NC – During a recent television interview, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page discussed ongoing personnel challenges related to recruitment and retention within his department, an ongoing challenge facing agencies throughout the country. According to a 2024 survey by the National Association of Chief’s of Police, 78% of agencies surveyed said they were struggling to recruit, with pay being the biggest challenge.

During the interview, Sheriff Page expressed concerns about support from the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners, financially and in terms of job appreciation. However, the Board maintains its continued commitment to the Sheriff’s Office and the well-being of its employees. The millions of dollars in additional funds that have been budgeted for the Sheriff’s Office over the last four years and the resolution of many ongoing issues within the jail reaffirm the Board’s commitment.

In an effort to remain competitive with other agencies, Rockingham County has conducted three third-party salary studies since 2021 to ensure fair and equitable compensation for all of its employees. The most recent study, completed by Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) in the fall 2024, led to the latest salary increase, which took effect in January 2025.

In the fall of 2024, the Board of Commissioners also allocated an additional $2,062,758 to the Sheriff’s Office for its 2024-2025 budget, increasing the total amount to $13,883,379. This additional funding was granted outside the traditional budget process, following the start of the new fiscal year.

Following approval by the Board of Commissioners, the starting salary for a Rockingham County Sheriff’s deputy has increased to a competitive salary, which is higher than the average pay for the region. As of fall 2024, the starting salary at the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office surpassed salaries at many neighboring law enforcement agencies.

Since 2021, starting pay for sheriff’s deputies has increased by 19.293%. Additionally, during that same time frame, salary increases among current employees at the Sheriff’s Office have increased an average of 47.5%. This reflects a combination of cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), merit increases, step increases, and years-of-service incentives through the data collected from salary studies.

Despite these efforts, the Sheriff’s Office has experienced a 68% turnover rate over the last five years, including 83 voluntary resignations. As of April 7, 2025, there were 20 open positions within the Sheriff’s Office, making up 48% of the total vacancies within Rockingham County Government.

In April 2024, inspectors with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services conducted a bi-annual inspection of the Rockingham County Detention Center. Some members of the Board of Commissioners requested and were provided with this report in September 2024. County Administration reached out to the Sheriff’s Office in September, where it discovered the Sheriff’s Office had yet to resolve issues noted in the report. As a Result, the Board of Commissioners have continued to monitor State-issued reports on the detention center which has led to ongoing improvements within the facility.

Since September, the Board of Commissioners have also taken steps to help resolve issues within the jail, leading to greater success in facility inspections. County Administration and the County Attorney have ensured the jail was properly insured after the cancellation of a Travelers policy due to inadequate reporting by jail staff and the Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s costing the taxpayers $190,000 extra just for insurance premiums, plus our deductible has gone up from $10,000 per claim to $200,000 per claim,” said Commissioner Charlie Hall. “There have been a lot of issues we’re having to deal with, and we’re trying to work with the Sheriff’s Office to get these issues addressed, but that doesn’t mean we don’t support law enforcement, because we do.”

Contracts initiated by the Sheriff’s Office were also improperly executed and required amendments by the County Attorney to comply with the law.

“We’ve constantly reached out to the Sheriff’s Office and said we need better communication, we need to set some parameters, and things have gotten better,” Commissioner Hall said. “But I feel that the Commissioners have taken the lead in trying to address some of these issues. Maybe that’s part of the problem — us getting involved in trying to clean up jail inspections and get better information from that Office. Maybe that seems confrontational.”

The Board of Commissioners have prioritized funding for additional pay studies in the years ahead, ensuring county employees, including those at the Sheriff’s Office, receive competitive salaries for both recruitment and retention. An open invitation remains for Sheriff Page to join Commissioners and County Administration in budget discussions. There are multiple opportunities each year to discuss the needs of the office leading up to the budget approval and implementation on July 1.

The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners remain dedicated to ensuring that law enforcement personnel, as well as all county employees, are adequately compensated, supported, and appreciated. All of the decisions pertaining to salary and benefits have unanimously passed the approval of each member on the Board of Commissioners.