County Wants Answers on Jail Overtime Pay

The McCracken County Fiscal Court is looking into a recent increase in overtime pay to workers at the county's jail.

At a special called meeting of the McCracken County Fiscal Court on Friday, Judge Executive Bob Leeper said he noticed recently there was an issue with salaries and overtime pay going over budget. 

"Right now in those two line items were a little over $100,000. If we continue on that path we be in the 200-250 thousand dollar range," Leeper said. The jail's budget is $7 million for the current fiscal year. Leeper said he wants to make sure the facility stays within that figure.

Leeper made clear the county's number one priority is safety. "This fiscal court, these gentlemen here have been absolutely committed to public safety and made an extreme investment in the jail after years and years of no one being willing to do it," he said. "We want to know we're spending the taxpayers' money appropriately."

Jailer Tonya Ray was also questioned about 12-hour shifts that employees have recently begun working, and  Leeper remembered her assertion that it would decrease overtime because said would reduce payroll expense due to a lower number of total shifts worked. He said the opposite has happened.

Ray said the inmate population had increased by more than one hundred since she took office, with about half of those from the county and the rest from elsewhere.

"After Judge Leeper and I spoke, I contacted my jail instructor. He advised me to do a staff analysis to see what the inmate-to-deputy ratio needed to be," she said.

Ray added that the analysis should be finished by February. She also said she has begun the process of submitting medical expenses for reimbursement from the state. 

"So basically. what you presented is a defense of what you've done, not a description of how you're going to solve the problem." Leeper told Ray. He said the Fiscal Court needs more answers. 

"I am concerned about the staffing analysis," Commissioner Bill Bartleman said, adding that he feels the jail and its operations are in turmoil.