The Donley County Sheriff’s Office will receive about $28,000 less from the City of Clarendon in fiscal year 2024, but the department’s overall budget won’t be hurt.
Clarendon is currently paying the sheriff’s department about $168,000 in fiscal year 2023, but that number will fall to $140,000 in the proposed new budget, which would take effect October 1.
City and county officials have been negotiating the contract for police services for about two months with the city trying to control costs while providing more money for city employees and the county trying to maintain the sheriff office’s funding.
Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the cut in city funding this year will be made up in the county budget so his office will not see a net decrease.
“We’ve found a way to make it work this year,” Blackburn said, noting that county officials are exploring the creation of a countywide “improvement district,” which could use sales taxes to help fund the sheriff’s office.
While the improvement district is being explored, the county will be applying for a state grant that would bring $250,000 in funds for law enforcement to the county.
In order to qualify for the grant, Blackburn’s salary had to be increased and the county will have to provide for that expense until the grant comes through in January.
“The state says sheriff’s have to make at least $75,000, deputies have to make $45,000, and jailer/dispatchers have to make $40,000,” Blackburn said. “You can’t even apply for the grant if you don’t have that in your budget.”
Blackburn said the grant would be used primarily for equipment, which would relieve local taxpayers of some of their tax burden.
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