The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office’s request for an additional $2.7 million to fund 23 new positions was largely denied, with county leaders approving funding for only three new positions. The Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved a $2 billion budget for the next fiscal year, but the Sheriff’s Office’s request for more money was not fully approved. The decision comes as the county grapples with the rising cost of doing business and the need to improve conditions at the county jail. “I am very aware of the rising cost of doing and we see it across the county,” Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said during the meeting. County administrators had recommended allocating $162.8 million to the sheriff’s office. In May, Sheriff Tina Nieto and Undersheriff Keith Boyd requested an additional $2.7 million to staff 23 additional positions, 21 of which were tied to the Bureau of Corrections. “It’s been a tough couple of years, I’ve been sheriff for 16 months and we’ve been through our (crises) and we’re really seeing our numbers,” Nieto said. Instead of the requested amount, supervisors approved an increase of $290,000. This is to fund three new positions for its Compliance Division, aimed at improving conditions for inmates at the Monterey County Jail following a 2015 court settlement. The new positions include a management analyst, an office assistant and a sheriff’s sergeant, who were a high priority for the Sheriff’s Office. The board reasoned that they are dealing with a tight budget and that funding for more positions at this time is unsustainable in the long term. “By accepting what we have before us today, we are effectively agreeing to additional multimillion-dollar increases next year as well as maintaining what is a new status quo,” Askew said. See more coverage of the Central Coast’s top stories here | Download our application | Download Very Local
SALINAS, California—
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office’s request for an additional $2.7 million to fund 23 new positions was largely denied, with county leaders approving funding for only three new positions.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved a $2 billion budget for the next fiscal year, but the Sheriff’s Office’s request for more money was not fully approved.
The decision comes as the county grapples with the rising cost of doing business and the need to improve conditions at the county jail.
“I am very aware of the rising cost of doing business and we see it across the county,” Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said during the meeting.
County administrators had recommended allocating $162.8 million to the sheriff’s office.
In May, Sheriff Tina Nieto and Undersheriff Keith Boyd requested an additional $2.7 million to staff 23 additional positions, 21 of which were tied to the Bureau of Corrections.
“It’s been a tough couple of years, I’ve been sheriff for 16 months and we’ve been through our (crises) and we’ve really looked at our numbers,” Nieto said.
Instead of the requested amount, supervisors approved an increase of $290,000.
This is to fund three new positions for its Compliance Division, aimed at improving conditions for inmates at the Monterey County Jail following a 2015 court settlement.
The new positions include a management analyst, an office assistant and a sheriff’s sergeant, which were a high priority for the Sheriff’s Office.
The board reasoned that they are facing a tight budget and that funding for more positions at this time is unsustainable in the long term.
“By accepting what we have before us today, we are effectively agreeing to additional multimillion-dollar increases next year as well as maintaining what is a new status quo,” Askew said.
See more coverage of the Central Coast’s top stories here | Download our application | Download Very Local
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