ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Styrofoam plates are no longer used at the Belmont County Jail, and officials said the move has saved county taxpayers $23,000 this year.
And more savings could happen in the future if they are permitted to serve Kool-Aid to inmates in place of one of their three daily required servings of milk, they said.
Sheriff Fred Thompson and Kitty Jo Paboucek, administrative assistant for the sheriff's department, told county commissioners Wednesday the department expects to be more than $200,000 under budget for 2010. Still, they do plan to ask for $230,000 more in 2011 above this year's appropriations to cover the salaries and benefits for four laid-off employees called back in 2010.
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Photo by Joselyn King
Belmont County Sheriff Fred Thompson, left, and Kitty Jo Paboucek, administrative assistant for the sheriff’s department, speak on budget matters before county commissioners Wednesday.
Recent years have seen the Belmont County Sheriff's Department exceeding its annual budget. In 2007, the department was allocated $3.1 million, but spent $3.7 million, according to information provided by the county commission office. In 2008, the appropriation was $3.3 million, with the department's expenditures amounting to $3.8 million.
Commissioners allocated $2.2 million to the department in 2009, but the office spent $3.2 million last year. The sheriff's budget for 2010 was $3.2 million.
"We've been fiscally responsible, and we have excess funds this year," Paboucek told the commissioners Wednesday. She expects the department will return $105,000 to the county's general fund in 2010.
And Paboucek noted the sheriff's department coffers also have an extra $103,000 resulting from two grants received this year - one for domestic violence awareness, and another for officer training.
She and Thompson detailed how costs were contained at the jail in 2010 after laying off about 12 employees in 2009:
Presently, the jail is required to serve milk to the prisoners three times a day, Thompson said. He noted it is currently being researched whether artificially-sweetened Kool-Aid could be substituted for one of those servings. If so, there could be additional savings for taxpayers.
Commissioner Ginny Favede said while examining jail expenditures last year, she had been surprised to learn of the high laundry cost there, and that name-brand detergent was being used. She asked if a switch had been made to generic detergent.
Thompson and Paboucek told her significant changes were being made in the laundry area, and these would probably happen as soon as next week when four inmates participating in a trusty program would begin assisting in the washing of laundry.
Since inmates aren't permitted to handle chemicals such as bleach and detergent, new machines are being installed at the prison. Wash products will be pre-stored into the machines, and released while they are in operation. It is estimated by the manufacturers the cost will be 22-cents per load.
Thompson and Paboucek said they don't expect any reduction in staff because of the move. Presently the wash is done by four kitchen employees, who now will concentrate on food preparation. The inmates doing the wash also will have to be supervised, they noted.
Despite the cost savings, Thompson and Paboucek also said the need to ask for about $230,000 more for the department in 2011.
Four employees - two dispatchers and two deputies - were rehired by the department in 2010. The money covers the costs of their wages and benefits, they said.
Commissioners commended the sheriff's department for its savings this year, and would take their budget request for 2011 under consideration. They expect to make a decision on county budget matters before the end of the year.
Paboucek reminded them the sheriff's department is presently in labor negotiations with its deputies, and that these have been halted pending notice of 2011 budget allocations.