TOLEDO, Ohio — The Lucas County Sheriff’s Office is asking county commissioners for a nearly $8 million increase in its 2026 budget, citing struggles to retain deputies amid competition from higher-paying agencies in the region.
Sheriff Mike Navarre said the office currently pays far less than nearby departments, including the Toledo Police Department and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, and as a result, they’re losing experienced staff.
“Just this year, up through October 1, we had 47 separations,” Navarre said. “Twenty-three of them were not retirements but people leaving for different agencies.”…