Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott is asking for a $13 million budget increase for 2012 after requesting an additional $8.7 million to cover operating costs the last six weeks of this year.
Scott says he needs more than the "unrealistic" $85 million budget allotted to his office this year to maintain the same level of service, but commissioners and county Administrator Don Brown said that Scott must rein in jail costs and reduce overtime.
"The taxpayers more than pay their fair share for public safety, and with the cuts coming from the state, we need to reduce operating costs," Brown said. "I am confident we will work out a compromise."
Scott on Friday submitted a supplemental budget request for $8.7 million to pay for overages in overtime, hiring more employees than were budgeted and benefits payouts for employees who retired or resigned.
Brown said he will find the money Scott needs to complete the year but will charge the sheriff with finding ways to cut costs in 2012. Brown said the county is preparing for $33 million in cuts from the state for 2012, so every county agency or office needs to reduce its operating budget.
Scott said he and Brown have scheduled a meeting this week to discuss his $98 million budget request for the coming year.
Commissioners have said a budget increase for any county office or agency in 2012 will be difficult.
"While there is no question in the 2011 budget there were some things that were not foreseeable, for the sheriff to suggest that the 2011 budget was underfunded in some way is just off base," Commissioner John O'Grady said.
"There is always a need for commissioners to better understand the need for law enforcement in the community, but there is also a need for the sheriff to understand county finances."
None of the six largest counties in the state has dedicated more money or a larger percentage of its general-fund budget to its sheriff's office than Franklin County has in the past two years, according to county budget records.
The sheriff's office in Cuyahoga County has 966 full-time employees and a budget of $81.2 million, 27 percent of that county's $305 million general-fund budget. Scott's office has 807 full-time employees, and his operating budget is 28 percent of Franklin County's $308 million budget.
Cuyahoga County has a population of about 1.3 million people, and Franklin County 1.2 million, according to the 2010 census.
"I guess this all sounds good when you are a number cruncher," Scott said. "Cuyahoga County doesn't really have a patrol anymore and pay is different, so (Brown) is doing a lot of comparing apples to oranges."
About 60 percent of the Franklin County sheriff's $85 million budget is dedicated to jail operations. Employees there racked up $1.6 million in overtime. Dave Masterson, the sheriff's finance director, said union contract agreements mandate levels of staffing inside the jail, creating the need for overtime.
In all, overtime will cost the sheriff about $3.2 million, $1.8 million more than what was approved by commissioners. Scott said he is looking at operational changes to reduce overtime costs.
"We are confident we will come up with a budget as we always do," Commissioner Paula Brooks said. "These budget situations are tough, and our staff is working with every department to work out a resolution."
Scott, who took over as sheriff in June after the death of predecessor Jim Karnes, said commissioners and Brown are "confused" about the resources needed to provide public safety in the county.
"I am trying to do my best to explain it to them," he said.
Copyright 2011 - The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
