$ 250,000 grant to bump up SO salaries

$ 250,000 grant to bump up SO salaries

Shackelford County judge John Viertel announced to commissioners at their March 25 meeting that $250,000 in funding from the state’s Rural Sheriff’s Department Salary Assistance Grant Programhadbeenreceived and was being placed in a separate account for proper distribution and documentation.

Viertel applied for the grant, which is intended for the purposes of reducing crime and improving public safety, in January.

The funding must first be used to provide specified minimum salaries, give salary increases, hire additional deputies or staff for the department, or to purchase safety equipment for the sheriff’s department. It calls for the sheriff to earn $75,000, deputies $45,000, and jailers $40,000 before the funding can be used for other specified purchases.

Only counties with a population smaller than 300,000 were eligible for the grant, which can be applied for again in 2025 but is not guaranteed after that.

Viertel charged sheriff Ed Miller with putting together aproposalonhowto administer the $250,000.

Other Business

•Jay Hardaway presented a petition for closure of CR 211 to public access. Because the county hasnotprovidedupkeepon what is basically a private road for several years, the commissioners voted unanimously by roll call vote to allow the process tocontinue,andHardaway will post the required signage for 20 days before bringing the petition back to the commissioners for final approval.

•Jeff Graham of Condley & Co. presented the audit for 2022, which was approved by the court.

•The treasurer’s report for February was also approved.

•The commissioners adopted a resolution to name April 15-19 as Telecommunicators Appreciation Week.