Anderson County commissioners try to resolve a funding standoff with Sheriff Paul White, right, during a Monday night meeting. Also pictured from left are commissioners Johnny Alley, Jerry White, and Rick Meredith.
CLINTON–The sheriff insisted he needs at least 13 jailers to open a new dormitory this summer but the county commission would not raise property taxes again, so a budget standoff remained unresolved after a special meeting Tuesday night.
The Anderson County Budget Committee will wrestle with the budget again during an afternoon meeting next Monday, and the County Commission will hear any new proposals during its regular meeting that evening.
The Anderson County Commission has already agreed to give Sheriff Paul White an extra $203,000 in next year’s budget to allow him to hire five jailers.
But White said he needs another eight jailers–13 total–to open the 128-bed minimum security dorm, which is being built to help ease overcrowding at the Anderson County Detention Facility and prevent a costly state decertification.
Proposals to raise revenues by up to $590,000 for the Sheriff’s Department failed on Monday, and a motion to raise the property tax rate by two cents failed in a 1-13 vote. County officials have been reluctant to raise the tax rate this year after a 16.2-cent increase last year.
Monday’s Budget Committee meeting starts at 2 p.m. in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, and the County Commission meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
The next fiscal year starts July 1.
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