LACIE SILVA
Editor
The Marion County Commissioner board briefly addressed the details of purchasing a new vehicle using Sex Offender Funds as part of the monthly commissioner meeting.
They also discussed the plan to transfer the current vehicle used by the officer overseeing the Sex Offender Registry to a school resource officer (SRO). Additionally, other specific uses of the Sex Offender Funds were reviewed in response to comments raised during the public comments section of the meeting.
During the public comments section of the August meeting, John Christof raised concerns his concerns citing that Marion County’s general budget is nearly $16.5 million, with the sheriff’s department being the most costly, accounting for $4.3 million of the total. Christof questioned the high expenses of Sheriff Burnett’s department and suggested an independent efficiency audit be conducted to ensure taxpayers are receiving fair value for the funds spent. He also requested that the purchase of the new vehicle be postponed until Mayor Jackson could confirm the proper use of sex offender funds and determine if other county priorities might benefit more from the allocation.
In response, Sheriff Burnett clarified that the statute governing the use of sex offender funds, as confirmed by Attorney William Gouger and Judge Raines, allows the funds to be spent on equipment, wages, overtime, personnel needs, and other necessary expenses related to managing the sex offender registry. Marion County has 94 registered sex offenders, and one staff member is responsible for overseeing them. The new vehicle would be designated for that employee, while the current vehicle would be repurposed for the SRO program, avoiding additional costs to taxpayers. Sheriff Burnett explained that sex offenders are required to pay an annual fee of $150, with $100 kept by the county and $50 sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to cover their expenses.
Following the discussion, the board approved the vehicle purchase for the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.
