Budget committee backs sheriff's one-time contingency requests including radios, servers and roof assessment

The Pulaski County Budget Committee voted to send two ordinances to the full quorum court with a recommendation of "due pass" that would appropriate contingency funds for one-time expenses in the sheriff's detention and enforcement departments, including replacement portable radios, upgraded camera servers, a roof assessment and drainage work.

The measures (ordinances 25I37 and 25I38) were moved and seconded during the committee meeting and passed out of committee; 25I37 passed the committee roll call 10 ayes, 2 noes and 3 absent, and 25I38 passed the committee roll call 11 ayes, 1 abstention and 3 absent. County staff said the requests are for one-time capital or capital-like items rather than ongoing operating costs.

Why it matters: County officials said many of the sheriff's radios are out of warranty and the jail's roof and drainage issues have produced repeated maintenance problems. If the full quorum court approves the ordinances, the county would move contingency funds to specific, non-transferable line items for those projects and…