Sheriff Presents Proposal for SROs and Other Officers to Budget Committee

June 15, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

With the state prepared to fund all five schools in DeKalb County with a school resource officer, Sheriff Patrick Ray has come up with a plan that would allow him to use already allocated funds in his budget (currently for SROs) to add another detective and two more deputies to his staff.

Sheriff Ray presented his proposal to the county budget committee Tuesday night.

Earlier this year, the Tennessee General Assembly adopted legislation proposed by Governor Bill Lee to fund up to $75,000 per school in Tennessee for an SRO Officer. In DeKalb County, the sheriff must apply for the state funds which are recurring each year. “The state is going to give $75,000 to each school and the school resource officers’ salaries will come out of that and anything left can be spent on an SRO position whether it be for uniforms, guns, vests, gun safes, vehicles, etc.,” said Sheriff Ray.

Currently, an SRO is stationed at each of the five schools in DeKalb County. Three of them are funded by the county and two by the school district but all five SRO’s work for the sheriff’s department and those salaries are in his budget. “The way we have the budget right now is the school district funds two of the SROs and the county pays for three. The five SRO salaries are in my budget under “salaries” and with the benefits and all it comes to a total of $323,982. The school system reimburses their part ($128,982) for two SROs back to the county general fund,” said Sheriff Ray.

Under state law called “maintenance of effort”, the county cannot cut salaries or the number of employees in the sheriff’s department budget without the sheriff’s consent. Although the salaries for all five SRO positions are currently in the sheriff’s department budget, Sheriff Ray said he is willing to surrender the maintenance of effort requirement for the two positions for which the school district reimburses the county, but he wants to keep the maintenance of effort for the other three, funded by the county and to shift their duties from SROs to detective (1) and deputies (2) should he apply for the state grant to fully fund all five SROs.

“What we want to do is apply for the state grant for five SROs and get $75,000 per school,” said Sheriff Ray during Tuesday night’s budget committee meeting. “We would ask to keep the three (officer positions) the county is paying for now because they are already in the budget. With one we would like to make a detective position and the other two for deputies,” said Sheriff Ray.

“With the five SROS we already have, there is a maintenance of effort (to keep the salaries and number of employees in the budget as is) but if we could keep those three officers (funded by the county), I would give back the two that the school system is paying for totaling $128,982. I would give back (eliminate) that amount in SRO salaries from my budget because I don’t think its right for me to keep all five (maintenance of effort required) SRO salaries in my budget when the school is paying for two, and the county is paying for three. If you leave all five (SRO salaries) in there (budget), the county will have to continue to pay for all five (under maintenance of effort)”, said Sheriff Ray.

According to Sheriff Ray, the roles of those current three SRO officer funded positions could be changed to better help the department with an ever-increasing workload.

“We have three detectives there now and one of them is mostly doing drug work. That’s all he does but he often borrows one of the other two detectives to help him because he can’t do drug buys and everything by himself,” said Sheriff Ray. “The other two have different things they do. For example, we do adult protective services. If someone mistreats the elderly, then they (detectives) have to investigate it. When we have child sex crimes one of the detectives works those and that’s a full-time job with meetings and everything that has to be done. Our detectives also do all our burglaries and thefts and anything else that requires investigation work. They are on call every three weeks which is part of their job,” he said.

“As for the two SRO officer funded positions we want to reassign as deputies, if we could keep those positions that would make another shift for us because we currently have a swing shift officer. We run three (officers) per shift, but some nights like tonight (Tuesday) we have two officers on because one is off duty. The Smithville Police Department has as many officers, if not more, than we have on a shift. We’re also having to do (work) Alexandria now because they (Alexandria Police Department) don’t have but one or two officers there, so we are running all their calls because nobody is there (Alexandria Police Department) after 10 p.m. We also do mutual aid with the Smithville Police Department. A lot of times we have to take calls for them too because they are tied up. That puts a strain on our department to do all that,” said Sheriff Ray.

While recognizing the sheriff’s need for more help, budget committee members expressed concern about the cost to the county should the state funded grant program for SROs ever end in the future. With five new state funded SRO salaries being added to the sheriff’s department budget in addition to the three the sheriff wants to reassign, that would mean the county ‘s future maintenance of effort responsibility would increase by having to pick up the tab for the five positions the state had been funding.

Sheriff Ray pointed out that the state defunding the new SRO program in the future is not likely but until such time, the county would not be out any extra expense because the three SRO positions he wants to reassign to other duties are already funded in his budget. Sheriff Ray added that he would probably be unwilling to apply for the state grant for the SROs if the county doesn’t accept this proposal. In that event, the current SRO plan would remain in place with the county continuing to fund three SROs and the school district reimbursing the county for the other two SROs.

“I wouldn’t think you (county budget committee) would deny three officers when it won’t cost you anything,” said Sheriff Ray.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Ray said another SRO is needed at the high school and he has asked Director of Schools Patrick Cripps that the school district continue to fund one SRO position to give DCHS two SROs.

“I met with Mr. Cripps this week and asked that he keep one SRO for us to put at the high school. That SRO could also fill in for one of the other SROs when they are out,” said Sheriff Ray.

No official response yet from Cripps or the Board of Education on Sheriff Ray’s request.

Sheriff Ray plans to address his proposal with the entire county commission during a meeting of the whole session on Thursday, June 22 at 6 p.m. at the history room of the county complex prior to the next regular monthly meeting Monday, June 26 at 6:30 pm. when the county commission is scheduled to act on passage of the 2023-24 budgets and tax rate in the auditorium of the Mike Foster Multipurpose Center at the county complex.

June 15, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

Scam alert!

If you should receive a “voucher” in the mail purporting to go toward your vehicle registration renewal destroy it because it’s a scam!

According to County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss, several people locally have received those vouchers recently thinking they could use them. Poss warns residents that such vouchers are not valid and cannot be accepted to pay for your registration.

If you receive one, do not sign and mail it, and do not call the number listed. Poss warns that this is just another attempt by scammers to trick you into sending your personal information in order to steal from you.

June 14, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The County Commission will consider passage of a higher property tax rate and a consolidated budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year when it convenes in regular monthly session on Monday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mike Foster Multipurpose Center at the County Complex.

2024 Budget

A public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate will be held prior to the meeting on Monday, June 26 at 6 p.m. in the same location as the monthly meeting.

The total expenditure package comes to more than $63 million funded by local, state, and federal sources.

If adopted as recommended by the budget committee, the county’s property tax rate will increase by almost 27 cents (0.2692 cents) from the current level of $1.7308 cents to $2.00 per $100 of assessed value and all the increase will go into the county general fund. The property tax rate is to be divided as follows: County General: $1.2583, up from the current level of 0.9891 cents; Highways/Public Works: 0.0326 cents (no increase); General Capital Projects: 0.0733 cents (no increase); Debt Service: 0.1060 cents (no increase); General Purpose Schools: 0.5298 cents (no increase). Total proposed tax rate: $2.00, up from current level of $1.7308 cents.

Steve Bates, the county’s financial advisor/fiscal agent said that the county needs more revenue to help offset higher costs of operation due to inflation and other factors that have taken a toll on the county general budget in recent years.

Budget highlights include the following from the School Budget, County General, Highway Department, Capital Projects, and Non-Profit Charitable contributions:

*Pay raises- A 5.24% pay raise as required by the state for county public officials. The county also includes the same 5.24% increase to county general employees in addition to any step increase to which they may be entitled on the county’s wage scales. Salary for Veteran Service Officer position to be increased from $12,900 to $16,800 per year. The Assistant EMS Director to get a one dollar per hour raise. Pay for the Juvenile Court Youth Service Officer will go from $42,360 to $45,000.

*County Clerk Office: County funding for half of new full time Deputy Clerk position. Restricted earmarked fees for the office generated from noting of liens and titling transactions will be used to fund the rest of the salary. The starting base salary for the position will be $33,819 ($43,600 including base salary and all provided benefits calculated for a first-year employee) The county will budget half the cost for this position

*EMS:
-$45,000 to equip a new ambulance scheduled to arrive in January with an automatic loading system and power cot which had not been included in the specifications when the ambulance was ordered this past year.

-The county plans to make application for a Community Development Block Grant for a new ambulance. If fully funded the grant totals $352,497 with a 16% grant match by the county of $67,142. EMS Director Hoyte Hale said the projected cost for a 2025 ambulance is $237,000 but it would also need equipment that the grant could cover including a Stryker automatic loading system, Pro 2 ambulance cot, Stryker Stair Chair, Zoll heart monitor, and ventilator.

-The county is awaiting arrival of another new ambulance which was ordered several months ago and funded in the 2022-23 capital projects budget. Funding of $225,000 for the new ambulance will roll over to the new budget year if not spent by June 30.

*Fire Department:
– $40,000 to replace a leaking metal roof on a portion of the Main Station fire hall on King Ridge Road and $7,000 to install insulation to the Belk Fire Station, which is a metal building with a concrete slab with no inside insulation.

– Additional $50,000 in capital projects funding, putting the total seed money at $150,000 to build a public safety building on property owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers near Center Hill Dam to house a fire truck to serve the Wolf Creek Community once a partnership agreement has been finalized between the county and the Corps.

*County Mayor: $30,000 toward purchase of an SUV for county mayor’s official use

*Sheriff’s Department- $165,000 to purchase four patrol cars. The needed equipment for the vehicles is to be funded by the sheriff’s department’s maintenance budget line item which is about $12,000 per car.

*Solid Waste- $80,000 to fund the purchase of 12- 30 cubic yard open top containers. Meanwhile, the county is awaiting arrival of a solid waste roll off trash truck, which was ordered several months ago and funded in the 2022-23 capital projects budget. Funding of $221,000 for the trash truck will roll over to the new budget year if not spent by June 30.

*Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad: $2,000 increase in the county’s annual donation to the rescue squad. Captain Dustin Johnson said the new money would be to add internet service to the rescue squad building located near Greenbrook Park for electronic filing of reports to the state and for the “IamResponding” app providing quicker alerts to rescue squad volunteers for faster response time. The county currently donates $40,821 per year to the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad operation as a non-profit entity. The new contribution would go to $42,821

*DeKalb Emergency Management Agency: Director Charlie Parker asked for adjustments in a couple of EMA budget line items totaling $2,800. Part of the extra funds would be to cover expenses for continuing installation of a radar omega system to provide advanced weather radar storm tracking alerts to the public via app. A portion of Parker’s funding request would also be for communication expense and for meals not already provided at meetings of the local Emergency Planning Committee and for snacks and refreshments during any future missing person search efforts such as the massive one held recently for Brittany Miller.

*Recovery Court: $20,000 increase in county funding from $46,700 per year to $66,700 mostly to help meet increased costs for travel and contracted services.

Schools:
– $3,000 pay raise for certified personnel and a $2,000 increase for non-certified staff.

*Tutoring: ($82,500) state funding to tutor students who failed to pass third grade testing. (Amount could change)

*K-3 Literacy: ($439,272) state funding for support and tutoring students in K-3 Literacy

* Local funding to replace approximately $100,000 in federal funding for one teacher, five educational assistants, and one secretary in the Special Education Program.

*Career and Technical Education Program: State (TISA) funding for new Marketing Instruction Program teaching position.

*Local funding for projected 2% increase in employee Medical Insurance premiums

Capital Outlay: Local funding of $400,000 to purchase and install new bleachers and a retaining wall at the DCHS soccer field.

Highways: $2.5 million allocation from the State Aid Highway Program Investment fund made possible through the Governor’s Transportation Modernization Act which was approved earlier this year by the Tennessee General Assembly. Road Supervisor Danny Hale said the new money will be earmarked for state aid road and bridge projects to be spent over a three-year period.

County funding to the following non-profit organizations:

-Upper Cumberland Development District- $2,000

-TN Division of Forestry- $ 1,500

-DeKalb County Rescue Squad- $42,821 (increased by $2,000 from 2022-23)

-DeKalb Animal Coalition-$ 36,805

-Plateau Mental Health-$7,180

-Senior Citizens Assistance Senior Program -$ 81,948 (increased by $1,303)

-DeKalb County Soil Conservation District- $ 89,433 (increased by $4,837)

-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce $35,000 (increased by $10,000)

-Imagination Library- $ 12,000

-Veterans Honor Guard-$1,500

-Civil War Trails-$ 400

-DeKalb County Fair- $ 5,000

-Jamboree-$ 5,000 (new contribution)

-Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency- $ 5,500

-UCHRA Assessment-Homemaker Aide, Etc. -$9,717

Total- $ 335,804

2024 Budget

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