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Board adopts special revenue fund ordinance to account for inmate telephone/tablet receipts
Summary
Commissioners adopted an ordinance creating a special revenue fund to collect and appropriate revenue from the jail's telephone and electronic services (Paytel) so the funds can be tracked and expended under board control; staff will ask providers to amend contracts so they bind the county.
Rockingham County commissioners unanimously adopted a special revenue fund ordinance to collect, appropriate and track revenue generated by the jail’s telephone and inmate electronic services (referred to in discussion as the Paytel system).
Clyde Albright presented the ordinance and said it follows a template used in the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association finance manual and Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 54. The ordinance requires revenue from telephone and technology service contracts to be deposited and expended in accordance with the template procedures.
Commissioners also discussed contract irregularities in the sheriff’s office’s vendor agreements: the county attorney and Clyde Albright said four contracts had been signed on behalf of the sheriff’s office rather than the county and therefore do not legally bind Rockingham County. Albright said he will request amendments to place the contracts in the county’s name. The board asked that corrected contracts be returned for formal approval.
The board approved the special fund ordinance on a motion by Commissioner Hall and a second by Commissioner Richardson; the chair called for the ayes and the motion carried.
Commissioners said revenue placed into the new fund will be subject to board appropriation, either through the budget process or by future board decisions. The board noted that inmate access to tablets and paid services is available to any inmate who deposits funds under the current contract terms.
The ordinance creates an accounting mechanism for those receipts and directs staff to return with amended contracts for formal contract approval.
