Increased Sheriff, County Clerk Budgets Approved for 2025

Sheriff Budget Sees 14.9% Increase, County Clerk's is 9.15% Increase

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Fiscal Court met on Friday, December 21, 2024 and approved the 2025 annual budgets for both the Sheriff's Office and County Clerk's Office, each of which increased from last year.

The Sheriff's budget in the amount of $1,139,000 was approved first by magistrates present, (Mags. James C Vincent and T.J. Massey were absent at the time of the vote, with Massey joining later). The Fiscal Court will contribute $275,500 to that amount. The total budget amount comes at a 14.9% increase from last year's amount of $991,300, with $267,300 coming from Fiscal Court in 2024.

County Treasurer Tammi Willhite says one major difference in the 2025 budget includes $150K in new grant monies along with additional funding allocated for school resource officers and a contract to patrol the Nolin Lake area. She also added there has been increased tax revenue with more homes being built in the county.

The County Clerk's annual budget was also approved in the amount of $4,200,625, which was up from $3,848,605 in 2024, for a 9.15% increase.

The County Clerk's budget is funded through county tax funds but doesn't require additional funding from the county's general fund; in contrast, the clerk's office turns over excess funds not used in their office back to the general fund each year. The clerk's budget still requires approval from the fiscal court.

Each budget amount has seen steady increases over the past three years. The 2025 Sheriff's budget has increased 48.3% since former Sheriff Shane Doyle's last submitted budget for 2022, and County Clerk Kevin Alexander's budget has increased 31.27% since that same time.

The court also went into closed session for a personnel matter. After public court convened, the court voted to hire Ray Whillhite as a full time county employee at a pay rate of $17.20 per hour with hours being divided between a transport officer and maintenance.

Today was the final Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting of 2024.

The court also voted to:

• Approve Sheriff’s 2025 Annual Order Setting maximum amount for Deputies and Assistants
  
• Approve County Clerk’s 2025 Annual Order Setting maximum amount for Deputies and Assistants
  
• Approve 2025 Fiscal Court Meeting Dates Schedule
• Approve Ordinance EC24-34, Solar Energy System Installations
• Approve December Cash Transfers
• Approve Government Utilities Service Software Support/Maintenance Agreement for 2025
• Approve Reappointment of Josh Brooks to the Edmonson County Water Board, effective 8/1/2024 for a 4-year term correcting previous reappointment approval of a 2-year term

The next fiscal court meeting is set for January 13, 2025 at 4PM.