By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Montague County Commissioner’s heard their first full presentation of budget requests from the sheriff’s office Monday during a budget workshop.
While the court has left the item budget workshop on the agenda for the last few months, hardly any department head or elected official has stepped to the podium.
The technology director went through her budget proposal last month, and a couple of officials said they don’t plan any changes, but it appears most may be waiting for the certified property values to arrive at the first of August when they know just how tight the budget strings might be pulled.
Sheriff Marshall Thomas went through the primary increases in his budget, however, the sheriff’s office and jail are experiencing an influx of funding through Senate Bill 22 so unlike the norm, his budget review did not center on funding for additional staff or pay hikes.
SB22 created a grant program to provide financial assistance based on population to the sheriff’s office, district attorney and county attorney to ensure professional law enforcement and legal representation of the people’s interests throughout the state. In the sheriff’s office he was able to apply for $350,000 in funds that can be used to provide a minimum salary for the sheriff, deputies and jailers, hiring of additional deputies or staff, purchase vehicles, firearms and safety equipment. Thomas laid out his wage increase proposal for each member of the staff last month.
There will be one new deputy and an animal control officer to work out of the SO funded by the grant, and the new county attorney investigator funded out of that office.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

Top photo- K9 officer Ace was retired from his service at the Montague County Sheriff’s office on Monday. His handler Deputy Chase Pelton will take Ace as he retires after six and a half years of service. (Bowie News file photo from an early arrest by the officers)