Berkeley County briefs

September 27, 2008|By MATTHEW UMSTEAD

Commission balks at complying with state law on deputy pay

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The Berkeley County Commission on Thursday delayed the allocation of $28,495 in bonus money that is due to Sheriff's Department deputies by state law because the commission said it lacked a formal request from Sheriff W. Randy Smith.

Smith said Thursday that the bonus money fell victim earlier this year to the commission's budget cuts, which he agreed to allow in an effort to help the county in tough economic times.

"When they cut the budget as much as they did, (the money) wasn't there," Smith said.

Smith previously was assured by the commission that the sheriff's department budget would be restored to a state-mandated level for the next sheriff, who will take office Jan. 1 - midway through the county fiscal year. Smith is finishing the second of two, four-year terms and by law can not run again for the office.

Commissioners on Thursday said they have yet to receive a request from Smith for the amount that needs to be restored to the sheriff's budget to meet the state funding requirements.

Official: Past due jail bill due to be paid in full next week

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The last of the $1.2 million in past due jail bills owed by Berkeley County to the West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Authority for the 2007-08 fiscal year is expected to be paid next week, Berkeley County Administrator Deborah Hammond announced Thursday.

At the end of the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, only Mercer County had a higher jail bill among the counties, cities and agencies who owed more than $8.5 million, according to figures that were released by the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.

For the 2007-08 fiscal year, Berkeley County was billed $3.4 million for housing inmates.

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