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Watch out for our kids and have a safe summer! o 04 ■'3- O 04 03 oo Vol. 143, No. 16 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, June 7, 2023 - $1.00 Sheriff explains request for $ 13 million budget Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has requested a $13 million budget for 2024. The proposed budget includes $4,970,000 for the detention center, an increase of $1,696,190 over the 2023 revised budget. The requested increase includes approximately $400,000 more to be allocated to salaries. A notation states that new hires will start out at $ 18.29 per hour. Currently, employees making less than $ 18.29 per hour will be bumped up to the new starting wage. The proposed budget amount also includes a request for $9,461,333.28 for the Sheriff’s Office, representing an approximate $1.8 million increase over the 2023 revised budget. The increase allows for higher pay for new hires and existing personnel to $20.31 per hour. “We’ve done studies that indicate that we are paid $2.54 per hour less than most departments in our area and it’s very difficult to recruit peo ple to come into this business now,” Williams stated in an interview with The True Citizen Monday. “We say we can’t afford it but what we can’t afford is to continue the turnover because we are paying for it in other ways.” Last week, during the BCSO Transparent Table Talk, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams spoke about the need for a larger budget. During the approximately 19-minute YouTube video, Williams said that $7 million of his department’s current $10.8 million budget goes straight to sala ries to pay BCSO, detention center and court personnel and school resource officers. However, he said the Board of Education reimburses the BCSO for 100% of the cost per taining to school resource officers. Another $1 million goes to cover insurance provided by BlueCross BlueShield. Workers’ compensation, retirement, Medicare, life insurance and dental insurance costs the BCSO another $1.2 million. Utilities cost $160,000, he said. Inmate meals total $240,000. Fuel ing up the patrol cars costs $375,000 per year. $200,000 is used for grant matching. Vehicle parts are costing the department $60,000. Uniforms and office supplies total $140,000. “As you can see at the end of the day, at $10.8 million, very little of that money does the Sheriff have much control over in SEE terms of what we do,” he said in the video. WILLIAMS, In support of higher 6 Burke County High School Beta Club members continue their efforts to honor the late Mayor Pauline Jenkins by placing an oil portrait in City Hall. Jenkins was not only Waynesboro’s first female mayor but also the city’s first African American mayor. She is fondly remembered for her kindness to all people and her great love for Waynesboro. The BCHS Beta Club team wishes to thank the following local businesses and individuals who have generously supported the project thus far: First National Bank, Clark Pharmacy, Paul Thigpen PIPTIIRF Ford, Councilman Dick Byne, rioiunc, BCPS Superintendent Dr. An- 3 Freaknik Bash canceled this year A Scramblerz CoffeeBar Face- book post read early last week: “Good Afternoon. As much as we fought to bring FreakNik to Burke County this year, we are sorry to inform everyone this late of notice, but our event will be canceled un til further notice. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was contacted and many reports were made and the venue was canceled. To prevent any unneces sary arrests or unnecessary citations, we will have to postpone. Sorry for the inconvenience. We were looking forward to it just like everyone else! Thanks to everyone for the support, we will try again next year.” Waynesboro City Manager Valerie Kirkland said she and the council were misled by applicant Melissa Brayboy, owner of Scramblerz Cof feeBar in Midville. The panel ap proved the June 17 event, however Brayboy never informed Waynes boro city officials the event was an adult-only party. Bird Dog Training Clinic The Burke County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Bird Dog Train ing Clinic by local Hall of Fame Field Trial Handler Harold Ray. Executive Director Ashley Roberts said the clinic will be held on Saturday, June 10th & Sunday, June 11 th at his farm. “While the 15 spots for dogs are full, the opportunity is open for anyone who wants to observe the training techniques of one of the best in the country,” Roberts said. The morning will focus on classroom education and the afternoon will feature demonstrations. Rob erts added, “This sport is very special to Waynesboro - Burke County. It is our claim to fame since 1947 when we were named the Bird Dog Capital of the World.” For more information, contact the Burke County Chamber of Commerce at 706-554-5451 Cost vs. benefit: Examining the Archway partnership Heading toward a quarter of a mil lion dollars and its third year, is the Archway Partnership a wise use of taxpayers’ money? The mission of UGA’s Archway Partnership program includes con necting Georgia communities with higher education resources to ad dress locally-identified community and economic development needs. Burke County’s Archway partner ship costs $71,700 per year, divided among the Board of Commissioners, the City of Waynesboro, the Board of Education, the Chamber of Com merce, the Development Authority and Augusta Technical College, ac cording to Archway PR Coordinator Baker Owens. The initial agreement includes a 5-year term. The first year is primarily designed to learn about the needs of the com munity, hiring a local Archway pro fessional and building relationships with local stakeholders, according to Owens. Burke County’s first year con sisted of scheduling listening ses sions that encouraged public input, a housing and workforce data fact sheet comprised by Archway stu dents to assist in determining how to approach housing and workforce development issues and a leadership and personality assessment to help local leaders understand how to work together effectively. “Student and faculty projects tend to pick up gradually in the following years,” Owens said. Burke County’s Archway Profes sional Aaron Redmond recently an nounced during a BOC meeting that UGA students submitted a design plan for the proposed passive park on Hwy. 24. The value of the work the students completed was approxi mately $10,000, Redmond stated. However, the County will contribute a total of $90,000 to the partnership during its first three years. The BOC elected to continue with their share this year, after discussions took place about how to get more value out of the program. “That’s where you have to weigh it out,” said County g^ Manager Merv Wal drop. “Are we get- ARCHWAY ting enough expertise 5 Aaron Redmond is the Burke County Archway Professional. His office is located in the Historic Courthouse.