COEUR d'ALENE — Kootenai County lost five sheriff’s deputies in 2016, people who moved on mostly to greener pastures to the west.

And all because pay here lags pay there, a group told county commissioners Wednesday.

Salary increases would go a long way toward retaining deputies tempted by bigger paychecks elsewhere and would actually save the county the expense of paying for training new employees, the group of citizens, business folks and former law enforcement employees said.

Former Kootenai County undersheriff Tad Leach made the pitch for retaining employees on behalf of the group.

"Kootenai County has never been consistent [with wage increases]," Leach said. "Kootenai County is the lowest in the Interstate 90 corridor from Coeur d'Alene through Spokane.

"Only you, as the board of county commissioners, have the wherewithal to solve this problem."

Leach said the wage issue has been building for years and it's compounded when commissioners come and go so there's no continuity when it comes to salary hikes.

The previous board provided increases in March 2015 so patrol deputies with one to three years of experience received a $1 an hour hike, those with four to six years $1.70 and with seven to nine years $2.20.

Patrol deputies start out making $20.29 per hour, which is competitive with local agencies like Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene police departments, but Undersheriff Dan Mattos said the pay differential becomes a problem during later years because the county's matrix doesn't stay competitive with the others. Mattos said it has been several years since employees received a cost of living adjustment.

County finance director Dena Darrow said one of the reasons the county hasn't kept pace with Coeur d'Alene is because Coeur d'Alene is unionized.

Specific ways any salary increases would be funded were not discussed at Wednesday’s meeting, attended by about 30 people. John Robideaux said the group has accountants who would be willing to meet with the county clerk's office to discuss creative ways to find funding within the existing budget to pay for increases.

Commissioners appeared to be interested in exploring the salary increase request further. Specific salary hike amounts were not discussed.

Leach said the group isn’t advocating that Kootenai County rise to the top of salaries among local Idaho agencies, but it's critical it at least stays competitive. He said he believes most residents believe that as well.

Leach said the first step is having a consensus that there is a salary problem, then take steps, even if in increments, to address it.

Katie Brodie, a Hayden Lake resident and former county commmissioner, said she believes other agencies offer better incentives such as more frequent pay raises for employees to stay.

"They have incentives to do their job; that's what we're lacking," she said.

Brodie said she believes Kootenai County residents would support competitive pay to reduce turnover and keep quality employees.

"I believe we underestimate what citizens will go for," she said. "I believe the citizens of Kootenai County want the very best that they can get."

Jim Coleman told the commissioners solving the turnover problem is the key to getting more productive deputies. He said when he served on the state transportation board, salary increases needed to be addressed — and the board was able to make it happen. He said a $3-an-hour increase reduced a turnover rate among maintenance workers of 40 percent to 2 percent per year over a five-year period.

While Wednesday's presentation pertained to patrol deputies, Mattos said pay for detention deputies will also have to be addressed in the future.

The salary request comes as the county is expected to start construction on a jail expansion this summer.

Last week, commissioners approved six deputy positions for the expansion. The sheriff's office also believes an additional 11 deputies, five control room operators and one maintenance operator will need to be hired before the expansion can be occupied when construction is completed around December 2018.