County approves $27 million budget, body cameras purchase

Published 12:00 pm Monday, July 3, 2017

TIFTON — The Tift County Board of Commissioners approved the $27 million budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18 at a called meeting June 29.

The FY 2017-18 county budget is a 2.6 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2016-17, mostly due to increased spending in emergency services.

The board also voted to roll back the millage rate from 12.183 to 12.171.

This brings it in line with projected property tax revenues for the new fiscal year.

The board approved the purchase of body cameras for the Tift County Sheriff’s Department.

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The total cost, after factoring in discounts, is $233,327.

“That’ll cover everybody on the road,” said colonel Larry Taylor with the TCSO.

In February, the board approved the TCSO to apply for a Department of Justice grant to help with the cost of the cameras.

The grant, which requires a 50 percent match, has been applied for, but the recipients won’t be announced until later this year.

“In February…the consensus was this was something this board wanted to do, grant or no grant,” said county manager Jim Carter.

The cameras should come in during November or December, according to Taylor.

The sheriff’s department tested different models of body cameras and has settled on the Motorola Si500.

The Si500 model features five integrated microphones.

The body camera uploads footage to the cloud throughout the day.

The footage is tagged with a case number and GPS coordinates.

“Deputies can’t delete, alter or change any of the recordings,” said Taylor, speaking at the February meeting. “All they can do is tag it.

“[The cameras will] enhance public trust, reduce complaints and help resolve deputy/public incidents.

“It’ll help the public and us be on our best behavior. It’ll help increase professionalism.”

Taylor presented test footage at that February meeting from deputies, showing traffic stops at day and night.

The grant requires a 50 percent local match. The local cost could come from SPLOST funds, according to Scarborough.

Council member Buck Rigdon brought up SPLOST rumors.

“There’s been a lot of street talk… as to whether or not this body is going to call for a SPLOST vote,” said Rigdon. “We intend to call for a SPLOST vote. The air needs to be cleared.”

Rigdon’s fellow board members affirmed their commitment to call for a SPLOST vote.

“As a board, I’d hope we would allow the citizens the opportunity to vote,” said council member Melissa Hughes.

“By consent, we want a SPLOST,” said board chairman Grady Thompson.

The board also

• approved bids totaling $70,874 from Griffin Ford for three 2018 F-150 trucks for the road department. The two regular cab trucks were each bid at $22,801, with the extended cab bid at $25,272.

The next workshop meeting of the TCBOC is set for July 3 at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room located in the Charles Kent Administrative Building, 225 N. Tift Avenue.