The monies allocated for the employment of the two deputies was accounted for in the budget, however, because of the changing nature of the amount allocated for the District Attorney and the Amador County Jail those amounts must be reflected as an additional to the budget and then conversely, on the expenditure side as well, creating the need for a public hearing for the Board of Supervisors to allocate the funds.

A 100,000 dollar amount is guaranteed to the county from the state under Senate Bill 1605. This bill expanded the COPS program funding from 100 million dollars to $212 million for one year back in the year 2000. The program provides a minimum grant of $100,000 to each city police chief and county sheriff so that statewide, organizations will be able to hire additional law enforcement personnel. The remaining funds will be allocated based on population of cities and the county.

The total amount received by Amador County was 746,942 dollars, or 100,000 dollars each to Jackson, Sutter Creek, Ione, Plymouth, Amador City and the unincorporated county areas. Also, Juvenile Justice receives 12,574 thousand dollars through the District Attorney’s Office and 12,574 dollars goes to the County jail.

According to a memo from Captain Ron Rockett, who is in charge of jail operations, the money will buy the jail 9 tasers, holsters and the training to go with them. The monies will also continue the Sheriff’s department’s ability to pay for two additional full time deputies. These positions were created by the COPS program funding and will continue with this funding as well. Local cities with their own law enforcement allocate their 100,000 dollars according to their cities budget priorities. Amador City and Plymouth both utilize the funds to pay for their contracts for services with the Amador County Sheriff’s department. The Board of Supervisors could only approve the expenditures in concept because of the lack of quorum on the issue. It takes a vote of 4 out of 5 for this type of approval and only 3 Supervisors were present at the meeting last week. The items will reappear on Tuesday’s agenda.