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Commissioners approve funding counsel after absent sheriff warns of payroll shortfall
Summary
Burke County commissioners debated a sheriff’s office budget shortfall, reviewed a list of contested expenditures, and approved allowing the sheriff to hire conflict counsel at the county attorney rate to pursue legal action challenging the 2026 budget.
The Burke County Board of Commissioners spent the meeting addressing a request from the sheriff’s office for funds to cover a payroll shortfall and a separate written request from the sheriff seeking court action to block the county’s 2026 proposed budget. The sheriff was not present at the meeting. Chairman and commissioners read an emailed request from the sheriff asking the county attorney’s office to file a motion for a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction to prevent the board from passing the 2026 budget, which the sheriff said did not provide a reasonable operating budget for his office. Adam Nelson, county attorney, explained that Georgia law allows a constitutional officer to bring such claims; if the county attorney is conflicted, the chief judge of the superior court can appoint…
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