The 2015 Sheriff’s Office Budget shows changes in administration, new radio installations and new expenses.
New years bring times for change.
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office’s temporary budget, yet to be approved by Athens County Commissioners, has dropped 7 percent in funding from last year’s — with the department receiving about $1.98 million in funding for a series of modifications.
Last year, the department received about $2.1 million from Athens County Commissioners.
Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason said the department’s budget needs to be approved before March 31, but will likely be completed in the next two weeks.
Athens County Commissioner Charlie Adkins said the finalized budget shouldn’t differ too much from the department’s temporary budget.
“We’re waiting on more numbers from the auditor. … I don’t see any real change,” Adkins said.
He said the lower budget amount is mostly due to changes in administration.
“We were paying for a deputy that was fired,” Adkins said.
Adkins said the decrease in budget could also be explained by how commissioners plan to pay for the sheriff’s office’s domestic violence coordinator, whose salary will not be funded by the Violence Against Women Act grant this year.
“(The funds) were coming from grants and now we’re going to do that out of the general fund, and the grant will repay that fund,” Adkins said.
In the 2015 budget, the commissioners allocated an amount for the domestic violence coordinator to remain at the department without the grant, but at a reduced salary.
“Through the commissioners’ blessing, we were able to keep her. … She made $20 an hour and now she makes $15.50,” Smith said.
The allotted salary amount for the department’s senior officials is slated to be cut by more than half this year.
Athens County Interim Sheriff Rodney Smith said many senior deputies have retired, reducing the amount the department needed for its salaries.
“We replaced them with junior officers with a lower pay rate,” Smith said.
The department also plans to increase funding in certain departments due to an increase in technology updates.
In the new budget, funding allocated for contract repairs is set to be increased from the $300 it was last year to $2,500.
Smith explained the increase is due to the department installing mandatory radio units in deputy cruisers.
The sheriff’s office also plans to upgrade the radio channels deputies use to communicate by March.
“If we don’t upgrade and move to the (new) channels, there’s no communication,” Smith said.
Additionally, a new category titled “clothing expenses” was included in the 2015 budget, and granted $12,500. The category was not included in the 2014 budget.
“I wanted to make sure they had the essentials for their uniforms,” Smith said.
A new budget line titled “advertising/printing” was also included this year, funded with $3,500.
Smith said the advertising fund should tilt more toward printing costs, rather than advertising. The funds are intended to be used for printing business cards, voluntary statements and printing supplies.
With fest season right around the corner, the sheriff’s office will help patrol the streets — though the increase in police presence won’t cause a dent in its yearly budget.
Smith said the promoter of each fest pays each individual deputy an hourly rate of $50.
