By Billy Davis

Sheriff’s department officials trimmed approximately $44,000 from their 2012-2013 budget Monday morning in an attempt to create job openings for a patrol deputy and an investigator.

It was unclear if the effort was enough, since the budget-trimming effort was approximately half that requested by county supervisors and County Administrator Kelley Magee.

“Do you think you can cut $88,202?” Magee asked Chief Deputy Chris Franklin.

“I doubt it,” Franklin replied with a laugh.

But they tried anyway. Robbie Haley, the longtime administrative assistant, pulled the sheriff’s department budget from a stack of papers, and she and Franklin retreated from the Sardis boardroom to whittle the numbers.

Sheriff Dennis Darby, meanwhile, said the sheriff’s department “has sacrificed everything we could on our budget.”

The department has a stack of resumes from prospective deputies who are willing to work for less money in order to work under competent leadership, he said.

Haley and Franklin returned about 20 minutes later with proposed cuts to vehicle repairs, uniforms, tires, repairs, and law enforcement equipment.

The sheriff’s department is requesting 12 new automobiles, three new hires, and salary adjustments for patrol deputies according to their experience.

“We’re asking for 12 (automobiles) because we need 12,” Darby told supervisors.

The sheriff’s department will likely purchase Chevy Tahoes because of their resale value.

Crown Vics, once the mainstay of  law enforcement, are not manufactured anymore.

Supervisors said Monday they had agreed to six new automobiles, one new hire, and including the deputies in an across-the-board pay raise for all county employees.

The sheriff’s department and jail budget are the largest in Panola County government, with the road department always trailing a close second.

The county board pored over numbers showing a projected $10.4 million in revenue for 2012-2013, with projected expenditures that outpaced revenue by approximately $54,725.

The projected expenditures jump to $60,560 for lease purchase of six automobiles for the sheriff’s department.

Franklin explained that the sheriff’s deputies are currently working eight-hour shifts and the new hires would allow deputies to return to 12-hour shifts.

Deputies were said to favor the longer shifts but moved to eight hours under first-term Sheriff Dennis Darby.  

Franklin said hiring an investigator would offset the case load from current investigators, who are averaging 115 felony cases during the year, he said.

The chief deputy also repeated his request for supervisors to approve the pay scale for deputies, when he observed supervisors were cutting more than $50,000 from the civil defense budget.

“So that money is being taken away for all the raises?” Franklin asked.

“That’s what they wanted to do, to give raises to all employees,” replied Magee, referring to the supervisors.

In other budget business:

•Supervisors agreed to $56,650 in cuts to the civil defense budget in order to help pay for county raises.

Supervisor Cole Flint noted the projected cuts are approximately 20 percent of the department’s entire budget.

“I want you to know if you need some equipment, we’ll approve it,” Thomas told Daniel Cole, the EMA director.

“I understand,” Cole replied.

“You’re not using it?” Thomas asked.

“I had plans to use it,” Cole replied. “I was told we’re in the red and Ms. Kelley asked me not to.”

Supervisors have trimmed the EMA budget three years in a row to provide more monies for the county’s general fund.

•Supervisors voted 3-2 to accept a full-time employee for Tax Collector/Assessor David Garner.

Garner has said the new hire will help man the counter in the tax collector’s office, where a current employee is busy overseeing an overload of bankruptcy paperwork.

The new employee will be paid $19,500 annually, said Board President Kelly Morris.

Flint and Thomas voted against the hiring.

“I think before we add another employee to man a counter, we should hire another deputy,” Thomas told his colleagues.

“We don’t need another employee for the counter,” agreed Flint.

The board votes are not recorded in the minutes but Morris is informally using the procedure to allow supervisors to voice their opinions about budget matters.

•Supervisors were unsure if the proposed $75 monthly raise would include part-time employees.

Supervisors were unsure of the number of part-timers in county government.

Magee said she would return with a projected cost.

The county board recessed until Wednesday morning at 8:30, when supervisors are expected to complete their budget plans for the new fiscal year.

Latest news from county budget meetings

•    “Yes” to allow new employee hire in tax collector’s office
•    “No” to hire two deputies, one investigator in sheriff’s department
•    “Maybe” to hire all three if $88,000 trimmed from  budget
•    “No” to new pay scale for sheriff’s deputies
•    “Yes” to increase yearly donation to Boys and Girls Club ($15,000 proposed)
•    “Maybe” for pay raises for part-time county employees