County leaders told KFOX the decision to hire 30 new employees may end up saving the county money.

Right now, El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles said he spends $2.4 million in overtime per year to keep his two jails staffed to the state minimum. The state requires one detention officer for every 48 inmates.

The county auditor said hiring 30 new detention officers would cost $1.3 million a year, and that would take a big chunk out of overtime.

The auditor said the move to hire more officers will at least be a budget neutral decision, but it could actually make money for the county.

"We're going to create 30 new jobs. We're going to be able to employ 30 people that are going to be earning a paycheck, and be able to pay their house and their car and put money back into our economy, into our sales tax to the property taxes, so this is really a good thing for our community," said Wiles.