Staffing cost at Sheriff's Department discussed by County Council

Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 1:00 AM

By Rusty Nixon

The cost to the county involved staffing difficulties at the Marshall County Sheriff's office was a topic at the meeting of the Marshall County Council on Monday night.

Marshall County Sheriff Les McFarland told the Council that his department is currently down four officers, with three off on medical leave and himself in the process of transitioning to the role of Sheriff. As a result, he asked the Council for an additional appropriation from the General Fund of $48,000 to cover overtime.

McFarland went on to tell the Council that they had modified their field training to try to get new officers in the field faster, but noted that after the first of the year they would have four new officers undergoing that training who would need to be paired with a current deputy in that process. Currently, with the manpower issues, McFarland said he had two officers on each shift, as opposed to a normal three.

McFarland's request was granted with a unanimous vote.