Sheriff”s Dept Doing its Part Not to Raise Your Taxes

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Sheriff Stacy Nicholson releases the following information:
In an effort to assist the Board of Commissioners in cutting the County budget, Sheriff Nicholson has reduced the total Sheriff’s Office budget by just over $750,000 since the 2009 budget year. Approximately $500,000 of that reduction is reflected in the current budget year. The Sheriff’s Office is now being asked to reduce an additional $480,000 to assist the County in “making up” for revenue short falls in the 2010. That will take the budget reduction up to a total of more than $1,200,000 since 2009.
Sheriff Nicholson told fetchyournews.com, “I am working diligently to help the Commissioners not to be in a position such that they have to raise taxes. My areas of responsibility to the county are overseeing the law enforcement functions, running the jail, 911 dispatch, animal ordinance enforcement and courthouse security. Performing those functions in the manner that the majority of our citizens expect is not cheap. However, I do recognize that I have the largest single portion budget within the county government and take my fiscal responsibility to Gilmer County very serious. If I can help the Commissioners keep from having to raise taxes, I want to do my part and I believe we have.”
“It was tough task when we were looking at the $750,000 cuts, but I felt like we could still provide most of the services that people expect from us. With the additional $480,000 that we are being asked to cut, it’s going to be tough and law enforcement functions in Gilmer County will suffer. Up until now, I had eliminated four supervisory positions and five staff positions (including the two deputies that supervised the inmate work crews). Now, we are being forced to look at cutting ‘boots on the ground’ troops by not filling open deputy and detective positions. I am looking at raising our revenue by housing out of county inmates by approximately $200,000 to off-set some of the budget cuts, but that still leaves $280,000 that needs to be cut. The housing of these inmates is not very popular nor do I like it, but we really don’t have a choice right now. There are no other ways for us to raise revenues that much. I assure you that we will only take the lowest risk inmates and the only added cost will be in food.”
“It’s a double edged sword. Now is definitely not the time to be “cutting” law enforcement with the economy causing such turbulence. However, my supervisors have been taking on extra responsibilities and my deputies continue to work shorthanded in an effort to not have theirs, as well as all of the county employees take further pay and benefit cuts. The county employees’ pay and benefits have been cut enough.”
“We will continue to provide the highest level of law enforcement services that the citizens of Gilmer County have come to expect.”

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