Commissioners give sheriff $1 million to prioritize staffing and equipment; ranks excluded

St. Mary''s County commissioners told county staff on March 13 to give the sheriff an additional $1,000,000 in the FY2013 draft and to return a unified, prioritized spending list showing how the sheriff would allocate that amount among law-enforcement needs.

Why it matters: the sheriff's office provided a long list of program and staffing requests during the budget process. Commissioners said they do not want to micromanage the office but want a single prioritized package so the board can act on a coherent allocation. The board also reiterated that proposed rank increases will not be included in the FY2013 funding package.

Key points: - The $1,000,000 is intended as a prioritized allotment for the sheriff to use for items such as investigations, patrol deputies, specialized detectives, equipment, and related costs identified in the sheriff's budget request (the sheriff's submission lists items by division and priority). - Commissioners confirmed that the previously approved replacement cost for 10 sheriff vehicles (reported at $137,081) will be moved from DPW into the sheriff's budget as part of the usual transfer of vehicle costs. - Commissioners discussed expected trade-offs the sheriff might make (for example, reassigning some currently inland office staff to patrol duties or using civilian staff for non-uniform functions) and asked for the prioritized list to reflect those operational choices.

Process and next steps: the sheriff will return a prioritized list capped at the $1,000,000 allocation for the commissioners to review prior to the public hearings and final adoption.

Ending: The board left the $1,000,000 placeholder and asked for a unified prioritized listing from the sheriff without rank increases; vehicle replacement costs already approved will be reflected in the sheriff's FY2013 budget.