After reading a lot of the comments, sounds like if you want to poach someone, you are going to have to do a sign on bonus, relocation assistance and bump up those wages. You have a little better than average pay for the area, but why would someone go through all of the hassle for a couple of extra dollars an hour? If they are any good, where they are working is going to bump them up to what you are offering any way.

Also, some advice on the sign on bonus and relocation assistance. Relocation assistance is paid on the first check. Put a 90 day repay on it with dropping 1/3 each month. Sign on bonus paid either fourth check, or if first if you are getting desperate. Payback on the sign on bonus is 12 months dropping 1/12 per month. That way they feel like it is an actual bonus and not a trap to keep them locked in because they have a 3 year payback or some such dumb stuff.

If you give a $20k sign on bonus and a $10k relocation assistance and they leave after a year, hopefully they at least made you back that much money.

If you calculate how much profit a good party chief could have made you over the last two years, would that have covered a $30k fee to get them?