County approves hike in sheriff’s budget

Jan. 11--Because of rising pension and health insurance costs statewide, Daviess Fiscal Court may be forced to increase its subsidy of the county sheriff's department this year by nearly half a million dollars.

For now, the county government will transfer $2.4 million to Sheriff Keith Cain's budget this year, plus at least $250,000 in health insurance contingencies. That's compared to a total $2.2 million plus contingencies last year.

Without the county's help, Cain said, the sheriff's department would be unable to maintain all of its services.

"This body assists us by a little more than $2 million annually," he said. "We are very appreciative. We wouldn't be able to provide the high level of service this county expects and deserves without it."

In total, the sheriff's department has budgeted $5.4 million for 2019. That's at least partly because of an almost $200,000 increase the department conservatively budgeted last year for pension costs. Last-minute legislation out of Frankfort slowed an almost 50 percent spike in contribution rates to a compounding 12 percent annually over the next 10 years.

But those costs are still rising, and they're outside both the department or fiscal court's control, said Judge-Executive Al Mattingly.

"I think fiscal court is at least partly responsible for public safety," Mattingly said Thursday, shortly after a regularly scheduled meeting ended at the courthouse. "All we can do is work with them to make sure their costs are covered. We have to keep the public and those deputies safe. The worst thing in the world would be to have a deputy not go home to their family because we didn't provide enough money to protect them. I continue to hear calls for more police enforcement out in the county, but the costs to provide that enforcement are going up and up and up."

Indeed, part of the department's capital expenditures this year will help cover at least six new police cruisers and ballistic vests made with the sole intent to guard deputies from bullets aimed in their directions.

Where the department is left asking the court for additional funds to help cover pension and health insurance costs, says Major Barry Smith, he would prefer those additional dollars covered more deputies.

"We're fortunate enough that we have a great fiscal court that realizes that these costs aren't something that we have any control over," Smith said. "That is paramount in enabling us to keep operations at the level that they are in the county. What is frustrating is to have to ask for a supplement from fiscal court when we would rather grow as an agency, but we're simply not able to ask for that."

This year, $4.6 million of the total budget, or 85 percent, will be spent on salaries, insurance contributions and retirements.

According to county officials, not all the department's contingency funds are spent, and, in fact, they very rarely are. Some quarter of a million dollars in health contingencies are meant to provide additional coverage for specific deputies or civilian employees who may be at a higher risk than the rest of the insurance pool. Those costs are dictated by health insurance providers as a safety net for any health complications that may arise.

Austin Ramsey, 270-691-7302, aramsey@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @austinrramsey

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