Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders wants a salary freeze. Who decides that?
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders requested a 2027 salary freeze in a Tuesday letter to a citizens’ commission, but county commissioners will ultimately decide his salary.
The county’s Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials has the power to set salaries for the county commissioners, according to state law and county code.
For all other county elected officials, including the Sheriff, the commission makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. Sanders’s letter is specifically addressed to the citizens’ commission, which is scheduled to meet for the first time this year on May 18, the county website shows.
Sanders is running for reelection. If his salary request is enacted, it would be the second year in a row that the sheriff had his salary frozen. He requested the same last year.
In an April 29, 2025, letter, the board asked the salary commission to not approve raises for the commissioners or recommend raises for elected officials. At the time, the board cited concerns about a shortfall in the county’s general fund for 2026.
By the end of the year, the board narrowed a $36 million deficit to about $9.8 million and slashed budgets for various offices and departments to address the remaining shortfall.
Among them was the Sheriff’s Office, which faced a $2.5 million cut. However, the Sheriff’s Office has continued to grow, thanks to a 2023 voter-approved Public Safety Sales Tax.
In his May 5 letter, Sanders alludes to the deficit and states “those challenges have persisted.”
“As the cost of living continues to sharply rise, my employees, neighbors and fellow community members are struggling to pay their energy bills,” Sanders wrote. “Receiving a pay increase as the executive of the Sheriff’s Office would be highly inappropriate at this time.”
The Olympian has asked the county to comment on the status of the 2027 budget and the board’s stance on salary raises this year. The board approved a $1 billion 2026-2027 budget in December, but the board may still approve amendments during the budget years.
For 2025, the salary commission set county commissioner salaries at $12,328 a month, or $147,936 a year, which represented a 6% increase over their 2024 salary.
That same year, the citizens’ commission recommended salary increases for elected officials ranging from 6% to 9%. The county commissioners ultimately granted them a 6% increase, The Olympian previously reported.
Sanders has been paid $182,761 a year since 2025, which represented a 6% increase over his $172,416 salary in 2024.
The sheriff’s current salary is higher than most other county elected officials except for the Prosecuting Attorney as well as District Court and Superior Court judges.
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 12:13 PM.
