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In a meeting continued from Sept. 23, the commissioners voted to reduce the Lowndes County Sheriff’s budget by $500,000. The decrease, approved after a measure to reduce the county’s budget overall by 5%, comes in addition to the across-the-board reduction commissioners passed at the ninth hour on Sept. 30 before the clock ran out on the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Commissioner Robert Harris proposed the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Joshua Simmons. It passed with a narrow 3-2 margin, gaining approval from Harris, Simmons and Commission Chairman Charlie King, while Commissioners Dickson Farrior and Joseph Bargainer opposed the motion.

“I want to do everything I can to fund the Sheriff so he can protect the people of the county,” Farrior said. “You start taking money away from him, then you cut back on services and that’s the last thing we need.”

The Sheriff’s budget for fiscal year 2024-25, which began on Oct. 1, was approved at $2,568,984. After a 5% reduction of $128,449.20, the new budget is set for $2,440,534.80.

According to King the Sheriff’s budget has increased steadily over the last few years. In addition, he said the measure was intended to ensure accountability by the Sheriff’s department.

“What I’m finding is that we just got too much money going out the back door, and nobody seem[s] to care and be accountable,” King said. “If you’ve got a bucket of water, and you’ve got holes and water coming out, pretty soon you ain’t gonna have any water in that bucket.” 

King also cited the need for the county to hold a “rainy day” fund and said the budget cuts will help ensure extra funds are available.

“It don’t make no sense that we shouldn’t have a cushion or surplus to carry us over into the next fiscal year,” King said. “If we keep going the way we are going, we will have to borrow money to make out.”

Sheriff Chris West declined to comment on the reduction, but Farrior, who credits West with low crime rates in the area, said the county needs to support the office’s efforts.

“We’re real fortunate that we don’t have the crime that some of the bigger cities around us have,” Farrior said. “I think it’s because the Sheriff’s doing a good job, and I want to support him. I need to support him, and I think the commission should support him. I think it was wrong to try to cut his budget.”