Sheriff defends jail budget as committee advances proposed county budget with 2% raise

Coffee County's Budget & Finance Committee moved the county's preliminary general‑fund budget to the full commission on Tuesday, including a 2% across‑the‑board pay increase and a projected $1,314,922 deficit after proposed offsets.

Sheriff Chad Parton used the meeting's public‑comment period to respond to criticisms that his office was "hoarding money," saying the apparent underspending largely reflects unfilled positions and necessary contingency budgeting for the jail. "I have to budget whether I have them or not for 400 inmates," Parton said, and added that the county must plan for medical costs, hospitalizations and other high‑cost incidents that can arise when the office takes custody of people. He said some funds have been returned to the county in recent years because anticipated costs did not materialize.

Parton also told the committee that drug‑forfeiture funds have paid for equipment and other items "that this body has not had to pay for," adding, "Let the dope dealers pay for it." He said he had paused hiring in part because this is an election year and also to control spending; the sheriff told the committee he had cut roughly 22 positions early in his tenure and has only requested two back since then.

County staff presented the committee with options to reduce the budget gap, including trimming sheriff overtime and taking the $325,000 requested for five patrol vehicles out of the county's general debt service rather than the sheriff's operating budget. Comptroller Mariana (last name not specified in the transcript) and the mayor outlined that moving the vehicles to debt service would reduce the immediate operating deficit and that assessed growth—about $32.5 million in appraised real property—could create roughly $462,410 in new revenue, though growth alone would not eliminate the shortfall.

Committee members debated compensation scenarios (2%, 3% and 5%) and whether to give a one‑time bonus or recurring pay raise. Supporters of a 2% raise said it was fiscally conservative given the projected deficit and uncertainty in revenues; others pressed for a larger increase or an incentive program tied to overall county savings. The committee ultimately voted to carry the proposed budget, with a 2% raise included, to the full county commission for consideration, with a work session scheduled for the following Monday and the full commission meeting on Tuesday.

The committee did not record a roll‑call of individual votes in the transcript for the budget motion; members noted that amendments could be offered on the floor. The committee also discussed timing and compliance with maintenance‑of‑effort obligations when delaying purchases or hiring.

Next steps: the committee will present the proposal to the full county commission at its upcoming meeting, where members may amend the pay increase or other items before final adoption.