More than $3 million in state funding is set to give the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office a new case management system.
During the 2024 session, the legislature allocated funds for technology upgrades at the sheriff’s office and renovations at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center.
Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said the $3.1 million going to LCSO will pay for a new software to manage cases at the sheriff’s office and the jail.
“It’s a jail management and case management system, and it has several different modules that go along with it,” he said.
The state budget also includes $750,000 to cover the costs of plumbing upgrades at the detention center, Hawkins said.
During a Friday meeting, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors approved opening two bank accounts to hold the money.
“As we spend the money, that money will then come out of the account to pay those bills,” Chief Financial Officer Lloyd Price told The Dispatch following the meeting.
Additional raises for retired, part-time employees
When the county’s budget was approved in September, supervisors authorized roughly $546,000 in pay raises for county employees. Part-time employees and PERS retirees weren’t included, County Administrator Jay Fisher said.
“You can return from PERS retirement back to employment with the country,” he said. “It’s considered part-time employment at that point.”
Fisher said PERS retirees choose each year to either work half the time for half the pay or make up to one-fourth of their former salary. As long as the employee’s pay doesn’t exceed those thresholds, they can continue to collect PERS benefits.
“Retirees have to come in, and they do sign a form every year acknowledging the maximum amount of money that they can make, but I don’t think it’s been clearly stated to them that (it) doesn’t include raises,” Fisher said.
Fisher asked the board to approve a $3,000 raise for 14 positions currently held by PERS retirees who work half the time for half the pay. They would receive $1,500 due to their half-pay status. Those opting to receive one-fourth of their former salary aren’t legally eligible for the raise, Fisher said.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks recommended the county extend the same consideration to other part-time employees, asking Fisher to provide a list of eligible workers.
“If you’ve got part-time people, and you show that kind of incentive, some of them may want to come on as full time people,” Brooks said.
Brooks moved to approve the raises for the 14 positions with the stipulation that the same be done for part-time employees once a list is provided. District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith said he would rather table the vote until the list is finished.
“I’m not opposed to the raises,” he said. “I just want it to be done for all the people listed at one time. That gives (Fisher) a lot of time to do what he needs to do, and … we can vote based on what we see and not what we assume we’re going to get.”
Brooks withdrew his motion, adding that even if part-timers get raises this time, they shouldn’t expect that will always happen when full-timers get raises.
“We’re going to take care of those 14 people. It’s going to be a one-time, good deal and move forward,” he said. “We’re not going back here. I don’t want to go back here every year.”
The board decided to table the issue until December when a full list of eligible part-time employees could be provided.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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