CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County’s Sheriff’s Office has battled high-turnover rates and complaints of low-pay for years, but without support from the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, employees and officials said it won't change anytime soon.

Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting, at a county safety and rules committee meeting, commented, "We're not asking for top pay, but [we] are asking for enough to be competitive."

Meeting minutes from the board of supervisors and varying committees show some supervisors fighting for competitive wages, and others fighting against them.

In recent years, officials from the county have opted to spend thousands on legal services to negotiation labor contracts.

Chenango County caps its pay for deputy sheriff’s by thousands of dollars less, on average, then the wages offered in neighboring counties after five years of service.

After five years of service, Chenango County Sheriff’s Office salaries range from $2,599 to $21,175 – less than its neighbors – and the county only offers basic healthcare benefits with 10 percent dental coverage, whereas the surrounding counties often offer more extensive services including vision.

The top out for deputy salary is $48,863 in Chenango County, and the most comparable top out is $51,462 for deputies in Delaware County.

The counties offering salaries comparable to Chenango County's aren't required to operate 24-hours a day, all week, and some also allow officers to take their police vehicles home.