County debates budget

Young County Commissioners are set to grant another five percent across-the-board raise to County departments struggling with rising prices and retention problems and are still discussing whether to raise Sheriff Travis Babcock’s salary by 20 percent to access up to $350,000 in state law enforcement funds, Precinct 3 Commissioner Stacey Rogers said.

“That’s what we penciled in,” Mr. Rogers said of the five percent raises for county staff. “We’ve had to plug all the numbers in – from furniture requests to road materials – to see if it’s really workable. We pretty well heard from all the department heads and got their requests penciled in, and we’ll see if we have that much money.”

The Commissioners are “trying to get more clarification” on whether they have to increase Sheriff Babcock’s salary to $75,000 – up from $63,505 in fiscal year 2022 – to qualify for grant funding under Senate Bill 22, passed during the Legislative session that ended in May.

“We don’t know where that money can be used,” he said. “One kicker is the Sheriff has to be making $75,000 to [qualify for the grant]. He’s coming up for re-election this time and [candidates will be coming out of the woodwork].”

Senate Bill 22 provides financial assistance to raise pay rates for sheriff ’s offices, prosecutor’s offices, and constable’s offices in counties with a population of 300,000 or less, Sen. Drew Springer, the bill’s sponsor, said.

Young County Commissioners would apply each fiscal year to receive grants for the three offices. Counties are required to use the funds to provide the minimum $75,000 salary for the sheriff, $45,000 for each deputy who makes motor vehicle stops, and $40,000 for each jailer working with prisoners or jail security.

“They’re saying that in order to be eligible for that grant, the October budget must include a minimum salary of $75,000 for the sheriff to fulfill this requirement. … That’s the only one that has to be done,” Young County Judge Win Graham said at the Commissioner’s July 17 budget workshop. “But they’re saying that if we did not amend the sheriff ’s salary to $75,000, then we would be ineligible for that grant.”

Excess funding can be used to hire additional staff or to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety equipment for the sheriff ’s office. Judge Graham said he favored applying for the grant funds even if it means raising the Sheriff ’s salary by double digits.

The way I look at it is for $9,300, we can get $350,000,” he said. “That’s the way I’m thinking about it – that we can then spread among deputies, jailers, dispatch, and equipment.”

The Commissioners will spend the rest of the summer finishing up the County budget before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.