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| Topeka pays extra $90K to keep inmate work crews |
| By cjonline.com - Aly Van Dyke |
| Published: 11/22/2013 |
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With another $90,000, inmate work crews will be able to continue code compliance work in Topeka. The Shawnee County Department of Corrections initially had intended to cancel the two work crews that work daily in the city to compensate for budget restraints. However, corrections director Brian Cole said, the city was able to find additional funds to keep the program alive. Shawnee County commissioners approved the $200,000 contract Thursday. “Because of budgetary constraints and overtime reduction, the only way we could make this happen was if we increased the amount of the contract,” Cole said. The $200,000 from the city will pay for the salaries of two supervisors, as well as the overtime required to fill their positions elsewhere in the department, he said. Previously, the city paid $110,000 for the two salaries. Paying for the overtime costs were critical to keeping the program, Cole said, because the department had to pull the $700,000 increase in health benefits out of its overtime costs, which were budgeted at $1 million. As a result, the funds will go back into the corrections budget, rather than the general fund as in years passed. Patty Burkholder, code enforcement manager with the city, indicated the inmate work crews help the department “accomplish an amazing amount of work” — from mowing violations and large warrant abatement cleanups to public service calls and clearing alleys of brush, saplings and overgrowth. “The code inmate crew cleared all of Oakland last winter and were halfway through central Topeka before weed season began,” she said. Commissioners on Thursday also learned the county has nearly $11 million in revenue over expenditures through Oct. 31. Net revenue over expenditures, compared to the 2013 budget, is about $4.2 million. However, as with previous monthly financial updates, financial administrator Betty Greiner cautioned against optimism. Read More. |
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