Madison Co. Sheriff’s Office presents budget to County Commission

JACKSON, Tenn. — This week, the Madison County Budget Committee is meeting with county agencies to hear their requests for the next fiscal year.

Wednesday, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office presented its $21.3 million budget proposal to the committee.

The 2016-17 spending plan is almost $2 million more than the year before. You’ll remember in February, the department was granted more than a quarter million dollars due to deputy overtime.

“That’s the reason we laid everything out,” Madison County Sheriff John Mehr said. “They can see every dollar and every penny, where it’s goes and what it’s been used for. We felt that was the only way to do it.”

“I thought it was very informative,” County Budget Chairman Doug Stephenson said. “I feel like we asked good questions. Commissioner Lowrance and Commissioner Rolland asked good questions. We’re getting a handle on where we need to go.”

Sheriff Mehr says his top priority is adding more officers, which will cost about $1.3 million more in salaries.

“I think the neighborhoods and the community, they see officers out there on the street regularly, and that’s what we want,” Mehr said. “We’re there for the protection of the citizens.”

If approved, the department would add four additional school resource officers, purchase smart phones for patrol officers and buy more than 20 vehicles.

“We want to get it taken care of and keep crime down here in Madison County,” Stephenson said. “Now whether we are going to be able to fund them fully, it is what it is. It’s like your budget at home — you have to work within what you have to work with.”

Commissioner Stephenson says the county will not raise property taxes. The budget committee has two more days of budget hearings.