About 90 Allen County Sheriff's Department employees attended a portion of today's county budget appeals, silently showing support for Sheriff Ken Fries, who received more than $800,000 in additional funding.
During last week's meeting, the County Council issued a list of suggested cuts to the sheriff's budget, including reducing sworn officers, reducing the number of inmates, reducing the number of cars and using civilians as bailiffs, who could also serve civil documents to the public instead of using officers.
Several appeals were granted Thursday after County Auditor Tera Klutz announced the county would be receiving an unexpected $1 million in tax money.
The county will receive about $800,000 more in county income taxes and $238,000 more in county economic development taxes than were originally estimated in the 2013 budget, Klutz said.
The council agreed to approve the following appeals -- sheriff's department for $827,007; county commissioners, $54,731; Homeland Security, $6,659; and coroner, $24,506.
They denied appeals to the Consolidated Communications Partnership (911 call center) for $21,212 and to the Parks and Recreation Department for $8,436.
Several departments, including the highway, prosecuting attorney and Wayne Township trustee, withdrew their appeals.
