Sheriff Comments on Budget Proposal

TYLER — Smith County commissioners release their 2014 proposed budget. KETK reports the people who foot that bill, the taxpayers, were invited Tuesday evening to weigh in. The renovation and expansion of the Smith County Jail will spill over into the 2014 budget. Sheriff Larry Smith (pictured) says, “Any part that I submitted to the commissioners court of my budget was definitely all needs and no wants it’s something that we absolutely had to have.” With the new facility opening up by the end of next year, Smith met with County Judge Joel Baker to make sure their new facility will be properly staffed. Two of the floors in the new jail will hold 144 inmates, and the third will hold 96. That means inmates who’ve been kept out of the county because of overcrowding will be brought back.

But more room means Sheriff Smith needs 10 more jailers. Lately, they’ve been bringing jailers in on their days off. There will also be a change of supervision from indirect to direct. Jailers will now be inside the jail with the inmates. Baker says there needs to be training involved with making this kind of transition. But Baker says it will decrease expenses and reduce the need for additional detention officers. “there is going to be time for a learning curve, as we move into this new type of management of a facility and there is going to be some things that we’re going to have to ease into,” says the judge. And Sheriff Smith is pleased with what’s carved out for the jail and the sheriff’s office in the 2014 budget. “I feel confident we will get through it,” says Smith.