Volusia County deputies say they are overworked and underpaid, and are asking the county for pay raises.

  • Volusia County deputies say starting pay for animal control officers is higher
  • Sheriff-elect Mike Chitwood doesn't want deputies working overtime to make ends meet
  • County in the middle of negotiations with deputies

Sheriff-elect Mike Chitwood said something needs to be done to compensate deputies so they don’t have to work overtime to make ends meet, and feel respected by their superiors.

Deputy Matthew Seltzer joined the Volusia Sheriff’s Office six years ago, making a little more than $15 an hour.

Volusia Sheriff’s Association president Brodie Hughes says starting pay for an animal control officer is more than $17 an hour.

“It’s very insulting," said Hughes. "Our deputies are faced with risking their lives day in and day out. I mean, you don’t have to look far. Just within the last couple of months, we’ve had deputies run towards the gunfire here in Deltona.”

Deputies and the county are in the middle of negotiations asking the county for better pay.

Chitwood is keeping an eye on those negotiations.

Chitwood has been meeting with deputies before he takes office in January. He says pay is at the top of  those deputies' list of priorities.

“It's something that the county council and myself have to sit down and give direction to the county manager to overcome this," said Chitwood. "Because I am not of the school of thought that a code enforcement officer should be treated like a police officer should.”

Deputy Seltzer said he and other deputies are forced to put in substantial overtime just to make ends meet. Hughes says the county’s response to their needs is affecting deputy morale.

“'We just don’t think it's a problem, we don’t want to discuss it.' That’s their typical response to us,” said Hughes.

Chitwood says a law enforcement officer who feels they are overworked and underpaid can be a danger.

"If you’re working tons of overtime, you’re taking your eye off the ball," Chitwood said. "We all, everyone of us, no matter how much we love our job, no matter how hard we work, the more hours that we work to try to put in, to make ends meet, the less effective we become to do our job. And that's where we make mistakes, and some of those mistakes could be life-threatening or deadly.”

We reached out to county spokesperson Joanne Magley for a comment on the deputies' claims about making less than an animal control officer.

She has not responded.