News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County Sherriff Steve Page voiced his displeasure with the Sherriff office’s 2023-24 budget at Monday’s County Commission meeting.
Page said if the department is not better paid, they could be in danger of losing the County Jail. He said if the Jail was to be decertified, taxpayers would end up having to pay to house inmates elsewhere.
“I just want it on record that if the jail gets decertified and it’s shut down, it’s costing the county over $100,000 a month because you didn’t do the right thing,” Page said. “It’s not on me, I told you, because it could very well happen.”
Page said he believes mistakes were made in the language used on the agendas for the commission to vote on. He said he did not believe it was made clear enough that the sheriff’s department budget was part of the Appropriations fund amendment that was passed on Monday.
“I don’t think everybody knew what they were voting on right here when it was time for the sheriff budget,” Page said. “I think you should ask that question again.”
Page said White County has the lowest-paid officers of any county in the area. He said he is worried officers are going to start taking jobs elsewhere if their budget does not improve.
“We are so low, we can’t sustain our people,” Page said. “We are a stepping stone, a training ground for other counties that pay more money.”
Page said he believes a revote should take place regarding the budgets of the sheriff department, and the county EMS.
