JEFF HURT I
Fisher County officials will likely have much to discuss during the upcoming budget discussions as Judge Holt’s proposed budget includes major cuts in county law enforcement that redistribute significant funds and generate a substantial surplus at year’s end.
In recent weeks, Fisher County officials held a special-called meeting, where commissioners agreed to a 5% salary increase for elected officials and discussed how pay raises across the board might affect the county’s bottom line. The increase in the elected officers’ salaries added around $25,000 to the total.
However, in the days before last month’s special meeting, the court also received certified tax valuations, which reflected a drop of $2 billion to $1.14 billion in overall tax valuations. Fisher County Judge Ken Holt said the decrease would have a considerable impact on the county’s budget, predicting a potential $200,000 shortfall and a likely tax increase.
However, in the proposed budget submitted last week, Holt offers alternative solutions and applications for tax revenues. The most significant change between last year’s adopted budget and Holt’s proposed 2024-2025 budget is the roughly $500,000 reduction to the Law Enforcement Center’s budget.
In 2023-2024, Fisher County budgeted $1.03 million for the law enforcement center’s annual operations. Holt’s proposed budget 2024-2025, would effectively suspend operating the county jail and reduce the facility’s overall budget to $523,755.
This eliminates several jail staff positions, including an administrator, jail sergeant, and multiple jailers. It includes salaries for retaining around four or five dispatcher positions for 911 operations.
Keeping the Fisher County Law Enforcement Center open and operational has been one of the biggest challenges for each of the sheriffs that have held the reigns during its short, eightyear lifetime. One of the most persistent issues sheriffs have faced has been maintaining the necessary staffing to meet even the minimum state guidelines, and more than once since opening its doors in the summer of 2016 the facility has emptied its inmates due to low staff numbers.
Coming off the cusp of a failed jail inspection and the abrupt resignation of Sheriff H.T. Fillingim in late 2018, Sheriff Alan Arnwine was forced to temporarily close the jail just three months into his appointment.
While the closure lasted only a few weeks, the jail would remain empty through much of 2019.
Reopening in May 2019, the facility would be in operation for less than a year before closing again. In March 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, the Fisher County Commissioners approved depopulating the jail because of staffing shortages.
Although the jail later reopened under Sheriff Randy Ford, his successor, Sheriff Simon Wade depopulated the jail again last year on Friday, August 18, due to staffing concerns and officer safety. Although Wade had plans to reopen the facility, after receiving a letter questioning his eligibility to hold the office, he submitted his resignation in March.
The court appointed Sheriff Tom Pohlman to fill the vacancy. Pohlman, earlier this week said he was not surprised by the proposed budget, adding how there have been murmurs about possibly closing the jail for some time. However, he pointed out that it was the voters who approved the jail and want it open. He said one of the primary duties of the sheriff is to oversee its operations, and officials have not even breached the conversation about SB 22, which he said could help do that.
SB 22 has also been a point of contention in the court, as officials declined to apply for the $250,000 grant to aid counties fund law enforcement salaries.
Fisher County was one of only 13 counties in the state that did not receive those grant funds last year according to reports from the Fisher County Treasurers office. Officials have not discussed if the county will apply this year.
Along with the uncertainty of the county jail’s future, the proposed budget includes salary increases across the board, reduces the county by roughly $600,000 over last year, and generates a nearly $380.000 surplus at year’s end. Commissioners are expected to meet again on Monday, where it is possible officials will be looking closer at budget numbers.