Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting discusses the vacant undersheriff position with elected members of the county's personnel committee. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NORWICH – Change is underway for one the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office highest ranking positions.

Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting appeared before the county’s personnel committee Wednesday for approval to fill his department’s undersheriff position which will be vacated by Undersheriff Joshua Gould by the end of the month.

“I really need that position filled,” Cutting said, adding his hopes to promote staff from within his own department.

“There will be some subsequent backfills related to that,” he told committee members, “but I don’t think there will be a problem.”

Starting salary for the undersheriff position is $95,100 annually. A resolution to fill the position will likely go to the Chenango County Board of Supervisors for approval next month.

The vacant undersheriff job is on top of an ongoing shortage of corrections officers at the Chenango County correctional facility. Half a dozen new employees were brought on board at the facility in June; but the department still faces a massive staffing shortfall and a waning interest from prospective employees to join the field of law enforcement.