- Video shows a meeting held by county commissioners Monday, where they unanimously passed a .25 operations millage to appear on the ballot in November.
- The millage is meant to cover operations cost, as existing funding ($1.25-$1.5 million) expired two years ago after running on reserves.
- Sheriff Gary Schuette explains that the loss of this funding could result in the elimination of night patrol and the Chanter Road facility.
"People are going to see profound impact if this doesn't pass," states Sheriff Gary Schuette. Concerns of budget and staff shortages continue at the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, and on Monday, county commissioners came together to decide what's next when it comes to solving these issues.
In that meeting, county commissioners unanimously passed a .25 millage to appear on the ballots in November, after the August ballot failed to deliver. County Commissioner (District 3) Corey Kennedy says, "What people have to decide is, do they want to keep staffing levels where they're at now, or do they want us to cut it. That's the cold hard truth."
Last week, neighbors rejected a .90 millage, 12,049 to 12,886 votes. The millage commissioners approved Monday is .25 mills and will cover the cost of operations, since existing funds have run out.
Sheriff Gary Schuette explains:
Kennedy states, "The reality is, when you lose $1.5-1.25 million, and the community is not willing to fund it, you have to cut the budget." Sheriff Schuette explains that cuts could lead to the elimination of night patrols and the Chanter Road facility. "These are scary things, both of them," he says. "If that's eliminated from my budget, those are things I'll unfortunately have to pursue."
Schuette believes a misunderstanding of operations cost in the last millage may have hindered voters from approving it. Now, the county is turning to voters, once again, for public safety solutions.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
