Commission adopts budget, sheriff’s budget remains level

Published 9:42 pm Monday, September 24, 2012

By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The County Commission unanimously adopted the 2012-2013 budget during a Sept. 24 commission meeting.

The budget had “basically no significant changes” from the previous fiscal budget, according to Shelby County Finance Manager Butch Burbage.

According to the adopted budget, the commission anticipates more than $88 million in revenue during the next fiscal year, which is about $8 million more than last year. The budget anticipates general fund expenditures of about $57 million, and total expenditures equal almost $88 million.

The Sheriff’s Department and jail budgets were kept even with last year. The sheriff’s total budgeted expenditures, which include the Shelby County Jail, Sheriff Training Center and Shelby County Drug Task Force, among other categories, total more than $21 million.

According to a footnote in the budget, the financial responsibility for the Sheriff Training Center on McDow Road and the Sheriff North Office at Heardmont Park was transferred from the Sheriff’s Department to the Department of Facilities and General Services.

The responsibility of the funds for the jail and juvenile detention building was transferred to the Department of Facilities and General Services during last fiscal year, according to the budget.

In other business, the commission:

-Approved a resolution to establish a policy of filling military leave positions within the Sheriff’s Department.

During an Aug. 13 commission meeting, Sheriff Chris Curry presented a request to fill two vacant positions created by two sheriff’s deputies who reported to active military service. The commission tabled the resolution until the Sept. 24 meeting.

The commission authorized the replacements of the employees on active military leave without increasing the number of employees in the Sheriff’s Department.

-Approved a resolution to provide a 25-percent match for a grant provided for the Drug Task Force. The match, which will total more than $46,000, will be in the form of a portion of the salary paid to the sheriff’s deputies assigned to the task force, the resolution stated.

The resolution also allowed the task force to apply to the Alabama Law Enforcement Planning Division for the additional 75-percent funding of about $140,000 for grant funding. The commission also provided more than $55,000 for task force operations.

-Recognized Mindy Nash, administrative assistant for Shelby County Environmental Services, for receiving the top Alabama Association of Emergency Managers award, the Pat Neuhauser Spirit of EMA.