By a slim 9-7 vote, the county Legislature on Wednesday approved a contract that extended over $250,000 in raises to 68 employees represented by the Herkimer County Deputy Sheriff’s Association union.
The contract accounts for four years, dating retroactively from 2008 to 2011.
There is no raise for 2008 but employees that worked all of 2009 receive a stipend, with full-time staff getting $1,000 and $500 for part-timers, according to County Administrator James Wallace. The stipend will cost the county just over $50,000, he said.
The contract includes a $2,000 raise, from base salary, for both 2010 and 2011, Wallace said. The cost to the county for the two years totals an estimated $214,000, he added.
Sheriff Christopher Farber said there are 32 part-time employees and 36 full-time employees impacted by the contract.

See the whole story in Thursday's edition of The Evening Telegram.