Letter to the Publisher,

With 12 vacant deputy positions, we must look introspectively at what we can do for our county and Sheriff’s Department to help improve public safety and community services. Personally, I have chosen to reduce my salary if elected sheriff.

As you may know, the sheriff of El Dorado County receives a salary of $15,236 each month, plus benefits totalling thousands more each year.

I’ve said from the beginning of my campaign that if elected sheriff, I will reduce my pay to $1 above that of the undersheriff. This will result in an immediate savings to the county and Sheriff’s Department of $27,384 each year.

Further, once in office, I will work to eliminate overlapping coverage I may already have such as medical, dental, life insurance, and long term care insurance. Additionally, if I’m elected sheriff, the county can eliminate its contribution into the PERS retirement system on my behalf. These benefit reductions will realize additional savings of thousands of dollars each year.

My self-imposed cuts will save precious dollars which I will ask be redirected to help fill vacant deputy positions. This is but one example of many fiscal restructuring efforts I will implement, if elected sheriff, to return more deputies to our schools and neighborhoods.

Stan Perez, El Dorado Hills