Lost keys, mold in the storage facility, the smoking policy and the sheriff’s budget were all subjects thrown into the mix during a meeting to discuss the county budget on Jan. 9 held at the Daviess County Courthouse. County Commissioners David Cox, Carl Carder, and Randy Sims presided over the gathering of county officials.
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The courthouse will eventually go to an electronic card swipe system, the commissioners said, which will be installed on one door, probably the west door since it already has power.
There are 52 keys presently handed out to courthouse employees. Missing and unreturned keys pose a problem if they should be lost or stolen. The card has an advantage over keys in that each card has a code that could simply be deleted if it goes missing.
The group discussed what would be done during power outages if the electric card were the only way into the courthouse. Most of the county officeholders didn’t object to the cards but still wanted an old fashioned door key as backup. They agreed to pay for new keys out of their own budgets.
The commissioners discussed a board motion that carried in December 1996, and became effective in January 1997. This motion made the south entrance of the courthouse the only smoking area for the building.
County leaders pointed out that the designated smoking area has rendered the courthouse anything but smoke free as smoke wafts all over the place. There are several smokers in the courthouse.
The commissioners said that for the moment they are leaving the issue with the 9-1-1 Board as a professional courtesy. The Central Emergency board will be asked to address the smoking problem from within their own department at their next meeting.
The commissioners discussed the mold problem in the county’s storage area of the old "cap factory." Everything stored in the east side of the building has mold growing on it and has to be taken out and cleaned up.
Various county offices use the storage area. For instance, the county health department stored some donated car seats which had to be destroyed because of the mold. Some of the other county offices store files there.
Judge Daren Adkins briefly explained the process to dispense with stolen items. The items have to be kept until the court case is resolved. Then the items are offered to the owner. If the owner forfeits the items, they are returned to the state and then auctioned off or destroyed by the sheriff.
The commissioners said that at one time the roof leaked in the metal building. The water settled on top of the insulation and eventually leached through. The roof and drainage problem has since been fixed. Only one problem with the building remains and it is with a portrait studio on the north side of the building.
Commissioners had contacted Connie Neal of the Grundy County Extension Office, as the mold problem was Neal’s field of expertise.
Comments were made regarding the sheriff’s department budget. A half-cent sales tax generated $284,000 for the sheriff’s budget in 2011. This amount did not cover the sheriff department’s expenses and so the sheriff’s budget was supplemented by $86,000 from the general revenue fund, which the commissioners are stipulated to do under "as needed" funds.
"That’s not because the sheriff’s office goes over budget," Becerra explained. "But because the commissioners kick in additional money from the general revenue. This has been the practice throughout the years."
Another roughly $36,000 is generated revenue from five or six other miscellaneous funds, like the civil fund, for a total budget for the sheriff of about $407,000.
Payroll and fuel are the biggest expenses for the sheriff’s office. These expenses will be itemized when the county clerk publishes the Daviess County Financial Statement, usually in March.
County Clerk Linda Steward said that she does not allow the various departments to go over budget.
Becerra states that each year since taking office, his budget has been cut and he has still managed to stay within budget.
"If it weren’t for Chief Deputy Todd Watson constantly applying for grants, which have totaled $122,000 since 2004, the sheriff’s office would require an even bigger budget," he said. He added that Watson has received a grant from USDA which will pay for 30% or about $8,700 toward a new vehicle.
Becerra said the sheriff’s office is very aware of how it spends taxpayer money. "We do everything we can to get the biggest bang for our buck," he said.
It will be up to the county commissioners to decide if county funds will go to pay for the sheriff’s new housing accommodations outside the courthouse or another deputy, both of which Becerra has requested.