Logo courtesy of Butte County

OROVILLE, CA (MPG) - The Butte County Board of Supervisors has extended temporary hiring bonus programs for the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office through June 30, 2026, citing ongoing recruitment and retention challenges in public safety positions.

The programs, first approved on Dec. 10, 2024, were designed to address staffing shortages that have persisted for several years, county officials said. 

Human Resources Director Sheri Waters said the incentives have been successful in attracting new employees. Since implementation, the Sheriff’s Office has hired 42 new staff members, while the District Attorney’s Office has added three prosecutors.

Under the Sheriff’s Office program, entry-level correctional deputies hired by the county receive a $25,000 bonus upon hire. Lateral applicants for correctional deputy, deputy sheriff and public safety dispatcher positions receive $50,000. The resolution notes the bonuses are non-pensionable and paid on the county’s regular payroll cycle.

The District Attorney’s program provides $15,000 upon hire and an additional $15,000 upon successful completion of probation for new deputy district attorneys. County officials said the program is intended to ease caseloads that have reached more than 400 cases per prosecutor.

Both programs are funded through the Community Corrections Partnership. The resolutions authorize the human resources director to resolve disputes over eligibility, timing or other issues, and allow the county to recover bonuses if employees leave before reaching defined milestones.

The Board of Supervisors approved the bonuses on Nov. 18 as a matter on the consent agenda. County officials emphasized the extensions are temporary measures and not precedent setting. The programs will be revisited when they expire in mid-2026.