As the Pulaski County Commission strives to end the year with a balanced budget, an ongoing obstacle to that end continues to be the expense of the county jail and its prisoners.
On Thursday, Pulaski County Commission members inquired about a $150,000 intragovernmental loan from the county Facilities Committee so it may meet the state statute of ending the year with a balanced budget. Commissioners sought the loan to cover expenses of the jail on the county’s General Revenue Fund.
“The problem with the budget is the jail,” Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall said Monday after the Commission meeting. “I understand better than most. It’s a huge cost, taking care of prisoners and the jail.”
The annual Pulaski County budget is $4.96 million, while the current annual allotted budget for the jail is $442,235, of which another $150,000 is spent on meals ($95,000) and medical ($55,000) care for prisoners, bringing the expense of the jail to $592,235. It’s that same $150,000 the Commission is seeking revenues to balance the budget.

A budget stretched
Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s Department annual budget – separate from the jail – is $906,967, which includes all departmental salaries and the $150,000 expense for prisoners’ meals and medical, which comes out of the Sheriff’s Department budget, lessening the actual departmental budget to $756,967.
“That figure — $756,000 — that’s everything: Autos, salaries, radios, dispatch, everything,” Sheriff J.B. King said.
“I think the $150,000 for the meals and medical should be separate from the Sheriff’s Department,” King said. “That’s the way I submit my budget every year, but they keep putting it in the with my (departmental) budget, but I can’t spend it. It goes to the jail.”
King, elected to a second four-year term on Nov. 4, is keeping the department together running on a tight budget.
“The county hasn’t purchased us a new car since 2000,” King said Friday in the Daily Guide office.

Alternative funding
However, King has used funds from the Civil Fee Fund to purchase vehicles, a fund that may be used at his discretion. The Civil Fee Fund is generated from various sources, most notably the fee charged when papers are served.
“People of this county want good service from the Sheriff’s Department, and they deserve good service from the our department. That’s the reason we’ve got to find another way to fund it,” he said.
It was then King reiterated the need for a half-cent tax on a $1 purchase to fund the Sheriff’s Department.
“We figure a half-cent sales tax for law enforcement will generate $1.8 million,” King said. “With other funding that will bring us to $2.4 million, which would be plenty to fund every aspect of the Sheriff’s Department. We could even set up the Drug Task Force we’ve talked about.

Budget disparity
“Right now, we’re covering Pulaski County on less of a budget than even that of the St. Robert Police Department,” King said. “Their budget is $1.6 million. Our combined budget, including the jail, is $1.349 million.
“The county is 550 square miles,” King said. “Yes, we don’t patrol the Fort, but that’s still a lot of roads to cover on our budget and manpower.”
King then attempted to put the additional cost of the tax into perspective.
“When you go to breakfast and get the $3.49 breakfast meal, the additional cost on that would be 1-1/2 cents,” King said. “That’s what we’re talking about. Much better law enforcement for 1-1/2 cents (on that $3.49 meal).”
And King is not alone in that thinking, having at least one on the County Commission leaning the same way.

Commissioners weigh-in
“I’m against new taxes,” Eastern Commissioner Bill Farnham said. “However, I think we need to talk about this. There is some merit in it. It could do two things: 1. Adequately fund the Sheriff’s Department, and, secondly, it will put less of a burden on the General Fund so money currently allocated to the Sheriff’s Department could be redistributed to other areas,” Farnham said indicating a year-end loan, such as the one the Commission is seeking now to balance its budget, would be unnecessary.
For all its purposes, King said a law-enforcement tax would be a boost to his department.
“It would allow us to add more deputies,” said King, whose staff includes 17, 12 of whom are road officers.
“We’re doing the best we can, but there are times through the week when we have just one deputy on the roads. I don’t know whether I should be telling you that, but that’s the case. We have more (deputies patrolling) during weekends and our peak times, but without overtime, that’s the best we can do,” said King.
King would like to see the law-enforcement tax come before voters sooner rather than later, in April preferably.

A lesser tax
While feeling the county’s budget crunch and it’s implications on the Sheriff’s Department, not everyone is in favor of a half-cent tax.
Ransdall, the presiding commissioner, favors an eighth-cent sales tax instead, and he thinks that would have a better chance of passing with voters.
“The half-cent (tax) would raise an estimated $1.9 million and if times were better, and with more of our troops home, I’d say $2 million,” Ransdall said.
“I think the eighth-cent would bring in $500,000. That would be enough. That’s all we need. If you add a half-million (to the county’s budget), no, we wouldn’t be asking for the loan, and it would be enough to fund the Sheriff’s Department and the jail,” Ransdall said.
However, there is a down side. Ransdall also said the eighth-cent sales tax could put some taxing districts higher than 8 percent, and that also is something to consider.
“The St. Robert transportation taxing districts are already at 7.975 percent. An eighth-cent would put them over 8 percent. That’s something to consider, too,” Ransdall said.

An alternative
A popular alternative and talk that is circulating would be to reallocate revenues generated by the 911 (quarter-cent) and Ambulance (half-cent) sales taxes toward public safety – the Sheriff’s Department.
Asked about that possibility and whether that state statutes would allow it, and the answer is yes. Although, it would take approval of the voters.
According to Deputy Communications Director Ryan Hobart in Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s office, the item is an entirely local issue.
“It’s up to the county. We have no say in that. It’s a local election issue,” Hobart said Monday.
Pulaski County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer said it could be done, but it would take another vote.
“It’s my feeling the Ambulance and the 911 taxes would have to be repealed and then another ballot put to voters stipulating the three-way split,” Linnenbringer said.
“Of course, you’d have to get the approval of the Ambulance and 911 districts, too,” she said.

A different scenario
Ransdall preferred that scenario to a new tax.
“Yes. I’ve heard comments about that. If there is a way to take the 911 and Ambulance tax and turn it into something for public safety, that could be a solution. While people may not support a new tax, they may support a redistribution of a current tax,” Ransdall said.
Ransdall said he just does not see any other possibilities from the General Fund to further fund the Sheriff’s Department.
“Where are we going to get it? Every department is already stretched. There were supposed to be new county computers (purchased) that have been put off. There’s just no other (funding) source.”
In the meantime, the Pulaski County Commissioners still must secure a loan or another funding source of $150,000 to meet state statutes of ending the year with a balanced budget.