Anderson County commissioners vote to give the Sheriff's Department an extra $200,000 to hire five jailers for a minimum-security dormitory expected to open this month.
CLINTON — Trying to find a compromise, Anderson County officials used more optimistic projections for property and sales tax revenue collections to give the Sheriff’s Department an extra $203,000 in next year’s budget, enough to hire five jailers.
However, Anderson County Sheriff Paul White had requested 15 jailers to staff a 128-bed minimum security dormitory expected to open this month.
White had asked for an additional $1.8 million in his budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, Mayor Myron Iwanski said, equal to a 14 cent property tax rate increase. Besides hiring jailers, the money could have been used to buy new cars and cover higher costs.
But after raising the tax rate up to 16.2 cents last year, county commissioners said they didn’t want to raise the rate again this year to give the sheriff more money.
Instead, they voted 11-4 to use the more optimistic sales and property tax collection projections to provide the sheriff the additional $203,000.
“We’re trying to find a way to do this without a tax increase,” Iwanski said.
In a memo to commissioners, White said the county’s proposed budget did not include enough money to cover jail inmate expenses.
“There is not enough funding for food, medical, laundry and cleaning supplies, utilities, and many other codes,” White said.
The memo also Chief Jailer Avery Johnson needs 15 more corrections officers to staff the new dorm.
“He currently does not have enough jail personnel to adequately operate the detention facility and related operations,” White said. “It would be impossible to open and staff the new unit without more officers.”
Also during Monday’s budget meeting at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, commissioners rejected two different proposals to fund one percent pay raises for county employees. One proposal, rejected in a 2-13 vote, would have used money from a $285,000 bridge reserve fund, while the other would have used money from a cable franchise fee and building maintenance. It was rejected in a 5-9 vote, with one abstention.
Voting to approve extra money for the Sheriff’s Department were Anderson County commissioners Johnny Alley, Zach Bates, Robin Biloski, Jerry Creasey, Chuck Fritts, Whitey Hitchcock, Rick Meredith, Steve Mead, John Shuey, Tracy Wandell, and Jerry White.
Voting against it were commissioners Buzz Patrick, Dusty Irwin, Tim Isbel, and Robert McKamey.
Commissioner Mark Alderson was absent.
Commissioners also approved the school budget on Monday and tabled consideration of the county budget, which does not include a pay raise or property tax rate increase, until Tuesday, June 12, at 6:30 p.m. That meeting will be in Room 312 at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
Michael S Golden says
“White had asked for an additional $1.8 million in his budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, Mayor Myron Iwanski said, equal to a 14 cent property tax rate increase. Besides hiring jailers, the money could have been used to buy new cars and cover higher costs.”
What shocks me most of this is they forget it is the Property owners who pay this, yet as of this morning trying to evict a renter who was three months behind, a visit to court which cost 190.00 to get this done we per the Judge,,Ten days and then if they wont leave call the police and they will evict. Did just that,,police show up and threaten me for any harassment due to i now have to go back to court,,pay again,,another hearing,,and then MAYBE they will respond or someone will assist in removing them,,two three months or more. Showed them where the people living there had illegally wired the power from CUB,,was told that was a civil matter,,not their problem, wow, did i retired from Navy to wrong Country,,whats happened here? If i went to court and said the Judge said falsely that in ten days the police would assist i would more than likely be charged with Contempt of Court lol..Retired Service here, Makes me wonder if i fought on wrong team. The Police in this county treat the Tax payers as the wrong ones, the manor in which they address one is disgusting. This should be looked into.