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Sheriff requests overtime increases, new radios and vehicles; commissioners ask for sourcing plan
Summary
The sheriff asked the commission to increase overtime lines to support a switch to 12-hour shifts, requested initial radio purchases and vehicle outfitting aided by a $340,000 grant, and sought modest raises for civilian staff and longevity pay bumps for uniformed employees.
Sheriff (Speaker 3) presented his department’s budget priorities at the Feb. 11 Fayette County Commission meeting, asking for higher overtime allocations, new portable radios, vehicle outfitting funded in part by a federal grant and modest raises for civilian employees.
The sheriff said he is seeking increases to overtime expenditures — proposing to raise both the general and levy overtime lines to support a move to 12-hour shifts intended to reduce overtime overall. "We actually think this year we're gonna save money in overtime because we'll try to start flexing our manager for hours," the sheriff said, describing operational changes to limit long emergency overtime.
On equipment, the sheriff requested $30,000 to purchase portable radios (the transcript records a Motorola quote stating 500 radios cost $30,000) and discussed borrowing or receiving a handful of replacement portables from neighboring agencies while the county works to procure more. Commissioners and staff debated whether to start by buying five radios or a larger initial set; Tanya reported a two-week delivery estimate with programming taking a day or two if ordered quickly.
The sheriff also said a $340,000 grant will be used to purchase and outfit additional vehicles; he proposed adding roughly $160,565 from the county budget to outfit eight vehicles beyond the grant purchase. He requested a $250 monthly pay increase for civilian employees (tax office staff, transport, animal control) and proposed raising longevity pay from $240 to $300 annually for long-serving uniformed staff.
Commissioners asked the sheriff to provide details about the number of deputies, funding sources (general fund vs. levy), and the timeline for vehicle outfitting and radio procurement so the items can be placed appropriately in the budget process. No formal appropriation vote was taken; commissioners asked staff to add appropriate items to the next meeting agenda for further consideration.
