Spalding County sentence-enforcement director warns state law limiting fee collection will cut revenue; offers new 30-for-30 diversion option

Director Marty Matthews, who leads Spalding County’s sentence-enforcement office, told the Board of Commissioners on April 21 that a state audit and interpretation of Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-8-103 means the county can legally collect only three months of probation supervision fees per case. Matthews said the change will affect roughly 200 cases each month and could reduce collections by about $9,000 per month unless alternative arrangements are implemented.

Matthews said the office’s adopted budget is about $650,000 annually, of which roughly $600,000 pays staff salaries; the remainder covers operations and security for court-report dates. She told commissioners the office originally planned to be budget-neutral, but the statutory limitation has created a shortfall. Matthews said she is working with the county manager and the…