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Sheriff's cuts likely would cost jobs
If the county's financial woes prove to be as serious as now feared, there could soon be fewer deputies on the streets.Fauquier County Sheriff Charlie Ray Fox Jr., said county administrators notified him about budget concerns on Aug. 27.
“They said they wanted to look at all of the departments to see if we each could cut [expenses] by at least 10 percent,” Fox said.
For Fox, that would mean cutting $1 million from a budget of approximately $11 million. Since most of the agency's budget is designated for salaries and benefits, Fox said it is possible some people could lose their jobs.
While he could opt not to fill existing vacancies and while there are other areas where cuts could be made, Fox said he and his staff can't come up with specific strategies until they know exactly how much needs to be cut and from which parts of the budget he is expected to cut.
The sheriff said he expects to know more after another meeting with county administrators on Oct. 3.
Including four deputies authorized by the board of supervisors for the current fiscal year, the Sheriff's Office is now staffed by 114 full-time, sworn personnel. The deputies are assigned to patrol, civil process/ court security, criminal investigations, the adult detention center, animal control, the schools, and administration.
There are also 17 full-time civilian positions, one part-time/permanent civilian position and one part-time temporary civilian position within the agency.
“We are in a [budget] crunch right now — everyone is,” Fox said. “The question is how much [the county] wants cut from public safety.”
E-mail the reporter: abogdanovic@timespapers.com
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