- Jackson County Commissioners approve more than $1 million in cuts from the 2025 budget, including $615,000 to the Sheriff's budget.
- Last-minute efforts to identify more funding to further reduce cuts to the Sheriff fail to garner support.
- Commissioners blame the failure of the November jail operations millage for the shortfall.
- WATCH THE VIDEO for statements by Commissioners.
- BONUS VIDEOS: Commissioner Corey Kennedy and Sheriff Gary Schuette discuss budget cuts and next steps.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
New developments in a story we've been following for months.
Tuesday, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners officially approved budget cuts to law enforcement, courts, and more.
A last-minute push by County Commissioner Tony Bair to find funds for the Sheriff's Office —
"...that the $615,000 be applied to the Sheriff's budget..."
— not gaining the votes from fellow Commissioners.
"Commissioner Bair, you have no support for your amendment," Commission Chair James "Steve" Shotwell informed Bair.
The Commissioners voted 8-1 in favor of reductions to the Sheriff, courts, drain commission, and other parts of the budget.
We've told you recently that the cuts will total more than one million dollars — a result of voters striking down November's jail operations millage...and an unwillingness to dip into the budget reserve.
Shotwell says: "You need that money to make all of the townships whole during the tax transfer season from July 15 to November 30."
I asked why the county held firm at its number when the amount of the cuts would NOT put the County below its target percentage for the Reserve Fund (18-24%).
Chairman Shotwell did not want to comment.
Commissioner Corey Kennedy explained the reasoning.
WATCH BONUS VIDEO: COMMISSIONER COREY KENNEDY
"Quite frankly, it could be done — and we did it the last two years," says Kennedy. "But you cannot continue to do that and be fiscally healthy. So we had to make a long-term solution, not an operational solution."
Commissioners Kennedy and Earl Poleski also stressed that the "cuts" are to the Sheriff's draft 2025 budget. The real amount budgeted for the Sheriff for 2025 is increased from 2024.
WATCH BONUS VIDEO: SHERIFF GARY SCHUETTE
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF THE ISSUE HERE AND HERE.
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