Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe is addressing office staffing issues by hiring more part-time deputies.

Of 18 part-time posts, 10 were vacant at the beginning of the month.

In addition to hiring Rob Berg Jr. of Allegheny County as a new part-time deputy, Slupe rehired retired Chief Deputy Doug Hays as a part-timer.

Both men will initially be paid $13.52 an hour, 90 percent of the job's base salary. After a period of 130 working days, the salary rises to $15.03 an hour.

Despite being a longtime county employee, Hays must start at the 90 percent rate under the terms of the deputies' contract.

Slupe said in an interview he would try to fill all of the remaining eight slots.

"We're looking through the applications," he said.

The office's number of full-time posts was a point of contention among county officials throughout the latter half of 2009.

Four jobs were cut in 2009 with three more to follow through attrition.

One of those latter posts was eliminated earlier this month when Hays retired and Deputy Mark Peffer was promoted to chief.

There are 17 full-time deputy posts left in the sheriff's office.

Slupe said he will continue analyzing his full-time staffing needs to determine if he needs any of the cut jobs restored.

The county salary board, which is comprised of the three commissioners, the controller and respective row officer, must approve any change to the number of posts in an office.

The new part-timers will help with the office's various duties, including the serving of bench warrants.

Since the Jan. 18 Butler Eagle story about Slupe wanting to reduce the nearly 1,300 warrants needing served, more people named on those warrants are reporting in to his office, the Clerk of Courts and Domestic Relations.

"People are responding and we encourage them to respond," Slupe said.