The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has rejected a request from the sheriff’s office for another $5.9 million to pay its vendors for the rest of the year
The sheriff’s office blamed the loss of the inmate welfare fund, staff changes, and expenses being calculated too late in the budget process for unpaid invoices.
Fulton Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore said during the commission’s Sept. 4. meeting the sheriff’s office owes Strategic Security Crop. the largest amount –$1.75 million for additional security staff at the jail.
Joseph Sordi, the CEO of Strategic Security Corp., spoke to the commission during public comment before the discussion. He said it was with a “heavy heart” that they suspended services at the jail.
He said the company offered a contract amendment to delay pulling its security officers from the jail, but received no response. If a solution can be reached, he said Strategic Security Corp. can immediately resume services at the jail.
A vote to add $2.1 million in available funds to the sheriff’s budget failed. Commission Vice Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman said she had questions for Sheriff Pat Labat before she would consider voting on additional funding.
Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said the county received several demand letters for invoices the sheriff has not paid.
“Therefore, we as Fulton County will have to make a decision as to whether or not we pay or we ask the sheriff to pay for it out of his budget,” Pitts said.
Commissioner Bob Ellis asked the sheriff’s office Chief of Staff Michael Shoates what controls they have to avoid overspending its budget. Ellis said every other agency anticipates a funding shortage in advance and determines how to manage funds to stay on budget.
Shoates told the commissioners that the sheriff and his executive staff recognize that it is their responsibility to manage the funds allocated each year and they take full responsibility.
He said the sheriff’s office has cut back on overtime and terminated some contracts, reallocating funds to try to stay within its budget.
Shoates said the sheriff was not present at Wednesday’s commission meeting because there were several emergencies at the jail. The department was also supporting Barrow County law enforcement after the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School.
Abdur-Rahman said she wants accountability from the sheriff’s office. Strategic Security Corp. has been contacting her office for two weeks. She first heard about their unpaid invoices from the vendor and not the sheriff’s office.
Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. agreed with Ellis in wanting to see financial systems in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again. He also said he thought this was an anomaly based on the loss of the inmate welfare fund and that the commission budgeted $2 million instead of the $5 million the sheriff’s office sought for overtime costs.
Commissioner Dana Barrett said when the commission changed the inmate welfare fund it should have put funds back into the sheriff’s office budget so it could directly pay some of the bills instead of the commission.