Sheriff urges staffing, accreditation and budget clarity as county reviews FY26 requests

The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office presented its FY26 budget request and described priorities that include pursuing formal accreditation, maintaining staffing levels, and seeking modest policy changes tied to retirement multiplier and professional services.

"We cannot skip on personnel. I want to hire the best and the brightest people we can get," said Sheriff Anderson, who led the sheriff’s presentation. Anderson told the board the office operates 24/7 across a geographically large county and highlighted civil-liability exposure as a key reason to preserve staffing and training budgets.

The sheriff’s office requested approximately $3,446,109 for FY26 (figure shown on the office’s worksheet). Anderson described investments tied to accreditation—the office expects auditors on site in early April for an accreditation review that, if successful, would improve grant eligibility and provide liability protections. He asked the board to consider a pay-related policy change (an enhanced Virginia Retirement System multiplier of 1.85 for deputies), which county staff estimated would cost roughly $50,000 if adopted.

Anderson discussed a law-enforcement staffing study commissioned in 2022 that recommended five additional deputies to provide more proactive patrol time; he said the board granted one additional position previously and that the office currently has 14 uniform patrol officers. Anderson said he was not formally asking for more deputy positions in this FY26 request but reiterated that the staffing study’s recommendations remain relevant to long-term coverage needs.

Much of the session turned to past year-end budget variances and how they were handled. Board members and the sheriff’s office discussed an unfavorable variance the sheriff’s office reported in last year’s accounting; the sheriff’s office cited an actual spending figure around $3,466,109 in one column and another figure near $3,589,000 in discussion of prior-year results. County staff and the sheriff’s office discussed procedures for correcting shortfalls and for submitting budget amendments; staff referenced Virginia Code chapter 15.2 and said formal budget amendments are required when offices exceed appropriations.

Other line items highlighted included an increase in telecommunication and professional service costs (software and policy/access systems needed for accreditation), dispatcher pay adjustments and operating costs such as uniforms, training and fuel. Anderson emphasized the operational pressure of covering 450 square miles with limited patrol staffing and described recruitment and retention as ongoing challenges.

Board members and county staff asked the sheriff’s office for additional documentation on variances and for clarity about costs; the sheriff’s office and staff agreed to follow up with more detailed line-item explanations and supporting documents for the next budget meeting. No final funding decisions were made at the session.