Orange County supervisors on Tuesday, Dec. 20, unanimously gave Sheriff Don Barnes a $20,305 annual pay raise, bringing his yearly base salary to $289,248.
The pay increase approved by the Board of Supervisors pushes Barnes’ total compensation to $355,852 annually for leading a department with a overall budget of $1.3 billion, 3,800 employees and 800 reserves. The department operates several jail facilities and provides security at the county’s state and federal courthouses. It serves as the law enforcement agency for all unincorporated areas and 13 cities that have contracts for service.
Barnes, who ran unopposed for reelection in June, is set to begin his second four-year term in January. He’s been with the Sheriff’s Department for more than three decades and previously served as undersheriff to his predecessor, Sandra Hutchens, who retired in 2018 and died in January 2021.
Before the pay hike, Barnes was making $268,943, less than the 2021 base salaries of sheriffs in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, according to the state public pay database.
Before the vote, Supervisor Katrina Foley said it was important that Barnes’ salary be “comparable with neighboring agencies.”
The board also legally enabled Barnes to continue receiving health benefits through the medical trust of the deputies’ union.
Source: Orange County Register
Be First to Comment