Madison County budget approved following adjustments

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Madison County Budget Committee met to discuss budget proposals from several local agencies.

Budget Chairman Doug Stephenson says they had to reduce the Madison County Sheriff’s budget.

“We gave the sheriff a proposal for $24,500,000, which was probably about $800,000 less than what he needed,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson says the Jackson-Madison County Library budget proposal also needs to be looked over again.

“We are trying to get that straightened out with some pension money that we had taken care of, and see if that can apply to maintenance of effort. We have to do some more work on that,” he said.

Madison County Sheriff John Mehr says they have been working with the Jackson-Madison County School District to make sure they have school resource officers.

The SROs are a part of the sheriff’s budget, and Mehr says having them is vital to schools.

“We should have an SRO in every school. Even elementary because there are problems across the country as we all know. I have a very strong belief in the SRO program,” Mehr said.

The Madison County Capital Planning Committee met as well to decide a final budget number for capital projects.

The planning committee came to a final budget of just more than $3 million.