WAYNESBORO, Ga () – Burke County Sheriff Alfonso Williams is asking for a court order to allow him to have control over his department’s budget.
The order which his attorneys say would guarantee public officials carry out their duties required by law.
Shawn McCullers, Attorney with The Ifill Law Group. says control over the department’s budget is a key issue in making Burke County safer.
McCullers explained that there is an attempt to require not just initial approval of the budget but also to make the Sheriff seek approval for spending on different parts of that already allocated budget. It’s not that they are refusing to fund the Sheriff but rather telling him to manage within his current budgetary limits.
The sheriff’s office is in jeopardy of losing the funding for their body cameras along with other essential services despite yearly budget increases.
Another attorney for the sheriff says that while there has been increases in the budget, it is still not enough.
Pierre Ifill, an attorney with The Ifill Law Group, mentioned that the Sheriff’s Office, using annual data, presents its needs to the board of commissioners, who are then responsible for adequately funding them. However, this has not been done correctly, leading to yearly deficits due to inadequate funding.
Alfonzo Williams, Burke County Sheriff voiced his concerns over the issue.
Williams emphasized that the law is clear: once a reasonable budget is approved for the Sheriff, there should be no further instructions on how the money is spent—not even for a single cent.
Burke County Commissioner, Evans Martin, gave us a statement saying, “The commission believes he is adequately funded and we expect him to stay within budget. It is unfortunate that the tax payers of Burke County have to endure the burden of him suing the Commissioner’s and the citizens.”
All Burke County judges and District Attorney Jared Williams have removed themselves from the case. The Sheriff’s Office is now waiting for a judge in a neighboring county to hear their case.
