Pulaski County Council Finalizes Budget Transfers for Sheriff’s Department

Overtime costs continue to add up for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. Last week, the county council approved the transfer of $11,200 into the Chief Sergeant and Deputy Overtime budget from various line items, at the request of Sheriff Jeff Richwine. “There’s all kinds of reasons they get overtime: they make a case right towards the end of their shift, the prosecutor’s office calls at all times to come and sign charges,” he explained. “It just goes on and on and on.”

Meanwhile, Richwine continues to shift money around to deal with an increase in the number of inmates at the Pulaski County Jail, including federal inmates. “There’s another $21,000 transfer: $21,000 from Gas and Oil, we’re transferring that to inmate meals. In the last year’s budget, we weren’t holding as many inmates as we are now,” he said. “We knew we were going to be short there again, so we were able to cover that with transfers, and I think we’ve adjusted that for this year’s budget. So we should be good on that.”

Council members also approved that transfer, along with another one moving over $1,800 from Overtime into Part-Time Jailers, following a favorable recommendation from the county commissioners.