The Henry County Board of Supervisors met in work session Tuesday, following their regularly scheduled meeting, to continue budget reviews for county departments.
During the session, Sheriff Rich McNamee presented an in-depth overview of the Sheriff’s Office proposed budget. One of the key discussion points was the office’s electronic key-fob access system. Sheriff McNamee was informed that the current system is seven years old and already considered obsolete. Replacing the system is estimated to cost approximately sixty thousand dollars. Sheriff McNamee told the board he would like to explore new vendors before moving forward with a replacement through the current provider.
Additional highlights from the sheriff’s presentation included plans to equip jail staff with stab-resistant vests. McNamee noted that grant funding may be available to help offset a portion of the cost. The sheriff also addressed the need to replace body cameras currently used by jail staff. Many of the cameras, which were previously used by deputies, are no longer functioning reliably.
The board also reviewed the proposed budget for the Henry County Attorney’s Office. No representative from the County Attorney’s Office was present at the review. As a result, supervisors raised questions regarding several budget line items. With assistance from the County Auditor’s Office, most of those questions were addressed during the meeting.
The Henry County Board of Supervisors plans to hold another budget work session next Friday. KILJ will have the official agenda once it is released.