Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

JPs talk sheriff's office budget

Money became an important topic of discussion for members of the Nevada County Quorum Court during their regular meeting help Sept. 10 as Justices of the Peace talked about the various budgets related to the sheriffs department and jail, then turned their attention to the library fund.

According to Nevada County Judge Baker Butler, the city is again in arrears with their payments for the operation of the Prescott-Nevada County Library. Butler said the county recently received a check, but that the city still owes some $30,000.

Were headed for the same place weve been for the last three or four years, said JP Arval Mason.

The county handles payment of library bills, using money from a sales tax with the city picking up the remainder of the cost of library operation. The payments have become an issue over the past years with the city consistently making their payments well past the date the city and county initially agreed to.

On the subject of the sheriffs budgets, at least three of those budgets were in the red, and JPs voted to appropriate enough money to take them back into the black.

Nevada County Sheriff Bobby Carlton said repairs at the jail, medical expenses and transportation have been at the heart of the problem.

The county jail has been written up by state review committees over the past few years as jail standards have changed and the Nevada County Jail - one of the oldest still in operation in the state - has struggled to meet those standards. The number of inmates had been decreased because of bad plumbing and the county approved the replacement of the jails plumbing system earlier this year in order to correct that. After inmates created problems with the jails electric system, electrical work was required.

Carlton was questioned about expenditures and told the quorum court members that his biggest recurring costs were medical, transportation and housing of prisoners in other counties.

The jail is licensed for 26 prisoners and Carlton said he has recently paid $2,400 to Miller County for housing overflow.

JP Myrna Waters said that with the current budget situation, shes concerned about the bills for the remainder of the year.

I wonder how were going to meet it.

The quorum court recently approved the purchase of additional police cars and the county will be making payments over several years for those vehicles.

I dont know where were going to come up with it, said Nevada County Judge Baker Butler.

JP Willie Wilson said he believes there are some things the county simply has to find ways to pay and that jail and law enforcement costs are among those.

JP Susie Key questioned a $10,000 expenditure for a camera system in the jail. Carlton said the cameras were installed after inmates damaged the electrical system so that inmates could be more closely watched and could be charged if they damage the jail property.

Carlton said at least part of the problem is that there simply isnt enough money appropriated into specific accounts. For example, he said the county has budgeted $129 for jail postage for many years. Postage has gone up but the jail continues to give each inmate two stamps each week - which now costs more than $800 if the jail is at capacity all year.

Carlton said he is authorizing to overtime and was urged to save money wherever possible.