HERMANN — Gasconade County administrators are vowing to prosecute those responsible for swiping county highway signs — apparently the current price of admission to underage parties. The County Commission last week emphasized the importance of having the signs in place.

“We are missing so many signs,” said Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, noting that he has been told a highway sign now seems to be the price of admission to parties of high schoolers. “They don’t understand how much this is costing taxpayers — that’s their parents and grandparents,” he added.

Lairmore said the county spends between $30,000 and $40,000 a year to replace missing signs.

“If they get caught, the county is going to prosecute,” Lairmore said. “I understand this is kind of a joke to the kids, but they’ve got to understand it’s serious” in terms of delivery of emergency services.

“So this is the entry fee to a party?” asked Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann.

“That’s what I’ve been told,” Lairmore said. “It’s getting to be a serious situation because it puts people in danger” regarding fire protection and emergency medical services, he added.

“I just encourage these kids to do something else,” the associate commissioner said. “I’d appreciate it if they didn’t steal our signs because it’s costing their parents and grandparents,” he said.

Something else for those taking signs to consider: Some are covered by security cameras, which would provide an irrefutable piece of evidence in prosecuting those taking signs from the poles.

In other matters during last week’s session, the Commission appeared prepared to approve the hiring of an additional deputy for the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department, bringing the roster of personnel to 15. That hiring would ensure the full-time assignment of a deputy to serve full-time as a security officer at the courthouse.

Lairmore voiced concern to Sheriff Scott Eiler that the agreement reached at budget time last year had not held up. At the time, the Commission and the sheriff agreed to have a deputy assigned to the courthouse full time. However, as the year progressed the on-site presence of a deputy decreased primarily to the point where the deputy was on hand during the days on which court was in session.

Eiler said the deputy assigned to the courthouse often was pressed into duty for other projects, such as covering staff shortages resulting from overtime or prisoner transfers from Crawford County Jail. His absence from the courthouse was especially noticeable last month.

“He wasn’t here in December a lot because I was short-staffed,” the sheriff said.

County Clerk Lesa Lietzow said she wants a security officer on hand full time during periods of absentee voting.

“I want someone at that door from 8 to 4:30 when absentee voting starts,” she said.

Adding another member to the sheriff’s agency will cost about $45,000 in salary and another $12,000 in benefits, according to county officials.

Also, given the choice of having another deputy to patrol the county roads or receiving a pay raise for the entire staff, the sheriff said he would opt for the extra deputy. He explained that his new budget request does not include a pay raise because the department personnel received a raise about mid-year in 2023, a move made possible by the additional funds generated by the county’s half-cent Law Enforcement Sales Tax. That tax generated $828,000 for the sheriff’s agency last year.

That money will be in addition to the annual appropriation to the Sheriff’s Department from the county’s General Fund. Last year, the department received $767,000 from the General Fund. This year, the department is asking for $771,000. The increase is largely attributed to a boost in the county’s contribution to LAGERS (Local Government Employees Retirement System). By law, the amount contributed for Sheriff’s Department employees is larger than the LAGERS contribution for other county government employees.