Shelby County sheriff urges full funding of FY2026 budget, warns against 'salary restrictions'

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner told the Budget and Finance Subcommittee that his office’s fiscal year 2026 request seeks about $16,000,000 in new expenditures to cover overtime, equipment, technology and urgent jail repairs, and that the office opposes any salary‑restriction or vacancy‑savings language in the final budget resolution.

The sheriff’s chief administrative officer, Alicia Lindsey, told the subcommittee the sheriff’s office will return unspent funds to the general fund but said preemptive reductions tied to an account labeled “salary restriction” or “vacancy savings” undermine the sheriff’s constitutional authority and impede staffing flexibility. "Let me be clear: Sheriff Bonner does not support the use of salary restrictions, vacancy savings, or any restrictions in the Shelby County Sheriff's Office fiscal year 2026 budget," Lindsey said.

The request includes a $3,700,000 overtime increase after the office reported…