By Debbie Hall
The Patrick County Board of Supervisors asked one department head to return to the drawing board and find a better price for office chairs.
The board has been working to carve the nearly $900,000 needed to balance the county’s $53,663,770 budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
At a June 2 budget work session, Geri Hazelwood, interim county administrator, read a request from Mickie Martin, director of the E-911 Center, for a line transfer of $6,642.86 to buy new chairs for dispatchers.
Along with the request, Martin “included a letter stating she is aware of the financial burden the county is working under currently,” and has worked to stay under or in budget as much as possible, Hazelwood said. Martin “is asking, however, to replace the chairs at dispatch.”
In the letter, Hazelwood said that Martin stated the current office chairs are more than 9-years-old, upholstered in cloth, “been cleaned numerous times and are still dirty and unhygienic. The wheels will not roll at this time, and the arm rests” cannot be cleaned properly.
As a result, Martin requested the transfer of funds to buy the four new chairs, Hazelwood said, adding that Martin said the chairs will be used 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
Funds for the chairs would be transferred from E-911 funds, according to Hazelwood, who added that Martin had obtained three quotes.
Finance Director Donna Shough said that Martin did not have funds in the ‘Furniture and Fixtures” line of her budget, but does have left over funds in different lines that could be transferred to pay for the chairs.
Jane Fulk, board chairman and of the Dan River District, said that according to Martin’s proposal, two of the chairs are high backed and two are ergonomic.
Regardless, “I believe she ought to shop around. That’s a whole lot of money,” said Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District.
“I think so too,” Clyde Deloach, of the Blue Ridge District, said. “I think we could look locally at Blue Ridge Furniture, too” to see whether the business can obtain the chairs for less.
“I know she got three quotes, but that’s $1,660.71 per chair,” Kendrick said. “The chairs may be worth it, I don’t know, but I never saw an office chair that cost 1,660.”
Denise Stirewalt, of the Peters Creek District, said she “just can’t see right now spending $6,600 for four chairs.”
Kendrick said he believed Martin should revisit the issue.
The remaining members concurred and the board tabled additional discussion to a later meeting.
In other matters, the board:
*Discussed overtime pay at the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office. Stirewalt said $45,000 of the overtime budget is pay for a School Resource officer (SRO) assigned to Patrick Springs Elementary School.
“I feel sure in my heart that that’s a needed thing,” Crystal Harris, vice chairman and of the Smith River District said of the SRO position. “But the SRO should be assigned to one school. There should be no overtime.”
Deloach said there are five SROs in the Henry County School division. He explained that includes one officer in each high school and middle school, and “one in suspension school. I think we could cut at least one” in Patrick County.
“I won’t get mad, but I’ll be hurt. I feel like in the elementary school is where we first reach the children,” Harris said, adding SROs also teach drug education.
Stirewalt said that Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith indicated he could use two part time deputies and get overtime budget total down to $30,000.
“I am an advocate for SROs, but my advocacy has more to do” with issues other than safety, Fulk said, adding that officers assigned to schools are often “the only person kids know” and trust enough to share their problems.
“I’m not against keeping them, but we’ve got to do it cheaper,” Kendrick said.
Deloach noted “we’re not talking about taking them away. We’re talking about sharing them” between schools.
Kendrick asked what the SROs have done since schools were closed due to the pandemic.
Stirewalt and Harris noted the officers were reassigned to work on the road and/or are participating in training at the law enforcement academy.
The new fiscal year’s budget begins July 1.
