Legislature approves block of resolutions including six‑month extension of jail double‑overtime

Sullivan County legislators approved three resolutions in a block Tuesday, including a request tied to a sheriff’s appeal to extend double‑time pay for jail overtime for six months amid persistent staffing shortages.

The sheriff told the legislature he had placed a resolution before the body to “renew and extend the double time for overtime for another 6 months,” noting the current authority expires at the end of January and urging legislators to support the extension. Later in the meeting a motion to approve resolutions 1, 2 and 3 in a block was moved by Bridal and seconded by Nick; the chair called for the vote and members answered, “Aye.”

The sheriff described the jail’s staffing problems in detail to the legislature: the jail census was reported at 117 and the sheriff said the department is down roughly 17 full positions, a deterioration from prior reports. He said hiring has been difficult, that two staff members are working full time on background investigations, and that the department plans to use provisional hiring to fill some vacancies more quickly while civil service lists are processed.

“We run a jail,” the sheriff said, outlining constraints on mixing inmates by classification and expressing concern that state mandates on staffing and new rules increase the difficulty of maintaining safe operations. He said the immediate measure of extending double‑time overtime is not a long‑term solution but “about the only thing we can do for them right now that’ll be meaningful.”

Legislators pressed for additional information about longer‑term solutions. One legislator noted that minimum staffing requirements—reported in discussion as roughly 99–100 mandated positions—do not account for extras such as transports and hospital watches and asked whether the county should pursue legislative relief or advocacy at the state level. The sheriff and other speakers said the jail must meet state‑mandated posts and that failing to cover them poses safety risks.

Public commenters also addressed the staffing crisis. A county resident who identified himself as affiliated with law enforcement said the jail’s overtime budget of about $800,000 and a proposed additional $240,000 every six months reflect the depth of the problem. Several speakers urged the legislature to consider broader contract negotiations and to explore options used by neighboring counties to retain staff.

The motion to approve the block of resolutions was moved and seconded, and the chair called the question; members present voiced assent. The meeting then moved on to other business.

The legislature did not provide a detailed roll‑call tally for the block vote in the transcript, and the agenda item identifiers for the three resolutions were not specified in the public record portion of the transcript.