Budget sessions have begun for Lafayette County’s next fiscal year, and departments have started submitting their proposals.

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department presented their budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year and had some added personnel and resources included.

The 2018-2019 budget for the Sheriff’s Department was $4.075 million, but next year’s budget proposal has an increase of $1.8 million, bringing it to approximately $5.841 million in total. The deputies salary budget is increasing by a total of $368,000 to $2.324 million. Seven deputies will receive raises that will total $11,471.

Interim Sheriff John Hill also said he intends to bring back the position of Deputy Sheriff, at a yearly salary of $84,000.

Other personnel additions in the proposal include hiring a school resource officer (SRO) for the new Lafayette Elementary School, which will be operational next August. Hill also wants to add a training officer, evidence officer, warrant officer and a courtroom officer to the department. Those additions would cost $187,209.60

The budget also includes the addition of eight vehicles to the department’s fleet, which would raise that total to $350,000.

A budget proposal for the Lafayette County Detention Center was also presented to the supervisors during last week’s budget session and has an increase of $527,493. Last year’s budget totals $3.643 million and next year’s would be $4.170 million if approved.

Most of the additions are also raises for staff and additional staff. The Sheriff’s Department is moving out of the Detention Center and into the former Department of Human Services and Justice Court Building. The move is expected to take place by fall of 2020.

The Detention Center wants to hire eight new jailers, which would increase the salary total by nearly $300,000 to $1.215 million. The cost to feed prisoners is also increased in the budget proposal by $15,000 to $235,000, and an average of $4,500 a week.