Sheriff Mike Robertson requests $25M budget for personnel and resources in Chatham County

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting on May 28, 2025, featured a significant update from Sheriff Mike Robertson regarding the fiscal year 2025 budget for the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Robertson expressed gratitude for recent pay increases but highlighted ongoing staffing challenges, particularly in detention, where the department remains understaffed despite the raises.

Sheriff Robertson emphasized the need for a strategic, multi-year plan to address the growing demands on law enforcement as the county continues to expand. He noted that the Sheriff's Office is requesting a total budget of approximately $25.79 million for fiscal year 2025, a substantial increase from the previous year's budget of around $21 million. This increase is primarily driven by personnel-related costs, including the addition of 23 new positions, with 13 of those being deputy roles.

The budget breakdown revealed that the main Sheriff's Office budget would rise to about $16.6 million, while the detention center budget would see a smaller increase to approximately $6.4 million. The Animal Resource Center budget is also set to increase, reflecting a growing need for resources in that area.

Key highlights of the budget request include funding for new body and dash cameras, which would require an upgrade to a cloud-based storage system, and the establishment of an in-house surgery suite at the Animal Resource Center to reduce reliance on contract veterinarians. Sheriff Robertson underscored the importance of these upgrades for operational efficiency and public safety.

The Sheriff concluded by stressing the urgency of addressing staffing needs proactively, warning that failure to do so could lead to increased safety concerns as the county's population grows. He reiterated the necessity of a long-term planning approach to ensure that the Sheriff's Office can effectively meet the community's needs in the coming years.