The four Athens County Sheriff's sergeants who would be demoted to deputy rank under the sheriff's restructured administration will have to seek an arbitrator if they wish to further their union grievance.
After a meeting Friday with members of the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association who represent the sergeants, Sheriff Pat Kelly did not change his decision to demote the four sergeants.
It's an issue of losing pay for them
Kelly said. But my stance is that I reserve the right to restructure the sheriff's office and I believe that I have to keep the sheriff's office under the best interest of Athens County people.
Under the restructured administration, Sergeants Richard Keith, Allen Flickinger, Jim Childs and Steve Sedwick would have to take a 10 percent pay cut, while Sgt. Jeff Cotterill and Deputy Aaron Maynard would be promoted to lieutenant positions with a 10 percent pay raise, Kelly said.
He added he is eliminating four supervisor positions because the former structure was inefficient; there were too many sergeants supervising only one or two deputies.
I don't need supervisors supervising themselves he said. It was no fault of the (sergeants) but the fault of the past administration not being diligent with promotions.
The union filed the grievance Wednesday in an attempt to stop the lay-off, said Mark Volcheck, an OPBA attorney
Members have 30 days to find an arbitrator, who would make the ultimate decision on layoffs, Kelly said.
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Caitlin McGlade
