TRUMBULL COUNTY Sheriff's office to receive a boost

The money primarily will be used for jail salaries and services.
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners will be asked next week to consider giving an additional $800,000 to the sheriff's department to shore up some accounts to year's end.
Auditor David Hines explained that the county's budget commission -- himself, Treasurer Christ Michelakis and Prosecutor Dennis Watkins -- will meet briefly Monday to certify an additional budget certificate, with the recommendation that the money be used for items such as jail food and medical accounts.
The additional money comes from the county jail's housing of city prisoners and federal inmates for fees. "It's their money, and the sheriff did earn it," Hines said.
Ernest Cook, chief deputy, said the money will help but won't be a complete surprise. "We knew this deficit spending would happen, and we had confidence in our recovery strategy," he said.
Approval expected
He expects the commissioners will OK the money. "They have told us in the past that, if we bring additional revenue in, that it should be defrayed for the sheriff's office," he said.
The money won't return sheriff's department operations to normal, he stressed, but will shore up accounts for jail salaries, food and medical services. "This is just to keep the lights on through the end of the year," he said.
Right now there are 29 unfilled openings for deputies and corrections officers. There are no detectives or special teams, and the department is short on road deputies and corrections officers, Cook said.
Budget figures
The sheriff's department for 2004 had sought a budget of $9.4 million, which was trimmed to $8.1 million during the county's budgeting process. Cook said department finances were reduced by $2.8 million in 2003.
In a move to increase revenues, the department contracted with the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service, and increased the per diem rate for Warren prisoners, figuring that would generate $1.4 million. "Essentially what we did was bring in $2.1 million" with November and December still to come, he explained.
Cook said not all of the money will be used this year, with the aim of putting some $450,000 toward next year's income -- depending on what happens with the county's general fund, which could be lean in light of a sales tax loss. If even deeper budget cuts occur, the jail might have to cut loose those revenue-generating inmates.
"We took a long time in nurturing these partnerships and to get rid of them is something I don't want to do," Cook said.