Wanda English Burnett, Editor

Two things were clear when the council adjourned Monday night. One, the sheriff wants more money, and two, the council says if they approve his proposed budget, the county will have more than a $220,000 deficit that will continue to accrue.

Ripley County Council members met Monday, November 24, after recessing from the regular meeting on November 17 to further discuss the sheriff’s proposed budget.
Sheriff Tom Grills and 15 members of his staff, jail, clerical and deputies, gathered once again at the meeting, some expressing their concern over the council’s two percent raise for the upcoming year - which is an across-the-board raise for all county employees.

Sgt. Marvin Smith spoke saying that if the jail was generating so much revenue, $450,000, why couldn’t the people who generate it be compensated. Council member Ed Armbrecht explained that the budget for the jail is actually almost three times what it generates, over $1.2M. He further explained that in a failing economy you cannot depend on income and property taxes to be even what they were last year. He said much of the money to make up the difference between what the jail brings in and the budget, is generated through the county general fund.

“That jail doesn’t come close to making a profit,” Armbrecht noted. When the sheriff said the jail makes money, Armbrecht noted, “you generate money, you don’t make it.”
When the sheriff questioned budgets for several offices, Armbrecht explained that the law provides that certain fees collected from various offices have to be used in specific areas. In other words, the council can’t just take money, even if it’s there, and put it to use in another area if it’s not an approved one. That is state statute.

Armbrecht explained that when the budgets from all the county entities were reviewed they came in at $6.8M, with over $273,000 having to be cut. As it stands now, there is only a little over a $2,000 cushion in the budget. Again, Armbrecht said if they adopted the sheriff’s budget as proposed, they would have a $222,000 shortfall. “You never get out of a shortfall,” he said.

Armbrecht further explained that when the council came up with the two percent raise, they looked at the numbers. “We didn’t pull it out of the air,” he told those gathered at the meeting. He further stated that in three years, or less, if they approved what was asked, “you won’t be asking about a raise, you’ll be asking if you have a job.” He told them to look at Scott and Clark counties, where they are experiencing shortfalls. “I’m not trying to be mean,” he said.

Regarding the sheriff’s request, Armbrecht said, “The county simply doesn’t have the money.” He said Ripley County wasn’t by themselves and said some counties are broke, but “we’re not.” He reminded those in attendance of four years ago when the county froze all salaries and asked office holders to cut their budgets by five percent. “Some cut their budgets by more than five percent,” Armbrecht noted. He said if people had not been so responsible at that time there would have been layoffs. “If we do these raises (the sheriff’s proposed raises) you’re gonna’ head right down that slope,” Armbrecht warned.

The sheriff said he could not take DOC (Department of Corrections) prisoners, and that would cut his workload down. It would also cut down on the revenue he generates for the county. He noted at one point in the meeting, I’d rather see somebody laid off than to have them killed.” The sheriff was referring to the workload he says his employees are carrying.

“I don’t think people understand where we’re coming from,” the sheriff said several times before Council President Dephane Smith said she didn’t think the meeting was being productive as it was. She asked the sheriff if he would like to meet with the finance committee to better understand the overall budget. The finance committee, comprised of Ed Armbrecht, Donald Dunbar, and Dephane Smith, will meet with the sheriff next week to go over the county budget.

Armbrecht’s question to the sheriff was, “Where do we (council) come up with $222,000?” He said it wasn’t about not thinking anyone didn’t deserve more money in their budget, but about the bottom line, again, “Where do we come up with $222,000?”
Not everyone at the meeting was in support of the sheriff’s proposed budget. A letter was read from employees of the Circuit Court Judge’s office, saying they don’t understand why the sheriff’s department thinks they work harder than other county employees. They noted they did not oppose the request for an increase. But, if it is granted to the sheriff’s employees, they felt others should get it too.

Sgt. Marvin Smith spoke out saying that he feels the sheriff’s employees are long overdue for an increase. “The two percent raise is a laugh for anyone, we’re not saying others shouldn’t get this either,” he said. He did remind the council of the dangers of their jobs, how they constantly put their lives at risk. He even noted that on more than one occasion he has been injured in the line of duty and not turned in a workman’s compensation claim.

The exact amount of increase the sheriff asked for was never divulged in the meeting. A call to the auditor’s office to obtain this information was not returned before press time. The information should be available in the auditor’s office.