Clayton County Commission approves $1.6 million more for sheriff's office | News

JONESBORO — About two months after approving an additional $14.8 million for the sheriff's office, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an additional $1.62 million to pay deputies and other expenses.Before the vote at the June 4 county commission meeting, Sheriff Levon Allen told commissioners that about $700,000 was to be paid to deputies who were fired by former Sheriff Victor Hill, but that after a civil service hearing, they had to be rehired with back pay.Allen also told commissioners that about $440,000 was to be used for prison transportation. He said the sheriff's office has transported about 800 inmates this year to facilities across the state and has picked up inmates at various locations.Allen added that some of the money will also be used for medical expenses.“I have a major problem given that you came to us in April asking for $14.8 million for salaries,” Commissioner DeMont Davis said. “It seems to me that these funds are not used only for salaries. »Allen disagreed with that statement and said the $14.8 million was an estimate of what would be needed to bring the sheriff's office budget to the end of June, the end of the fiscal year financial.The $14.8 million was approved in April due to a shortfall in the sheriff's office budget. About $7 million of that deficit came from personnel costs.“I have a hard time understanding that given that we spent $14.8 and now we're asking for $1.6 and we have three weeks left in this fiscal year,” Davis said, adding that the general fund had decreased since the start of the financial year. fiscal year.“Those are things we’ll have to think about,” Davis said. “If not, our homeowner taxpayers are going to take a big hit next fiscal year and that millage needs to be increased to start dealing with this.Allen has appeared before the commissioners several times in the past regarding the sheriff's office's understaffing and he reiterated it again at the May 30 meeting.Staffing issues are leading to more overtime and the need to hire more part-time employees, he said.“If we don't get these numbers together (in the next budget), we'll end up at the same point,” Commissioner Gail Hambrick said.Davis said his main issues with requests for budget amendments were how the money was controlled and spent.“I think we deserve an answer to some of these questions so that we don't start to move further into this quicksand, which I feel like we're heading into financially,” Davis said.