COLUMBUS, Ind. – In a media release on Tuesday, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said it made significant improvements in budget management in 2023. Sheriff Lane prioritized the budget as an area of focus, using a data-based approach to gain more insight into several critical budget areas.
The Leadership Team developed a color-coded scorecard to cover all important management areas of the BCSO budget. The elements of the scorecard are evaluated every month to allow for discussion and/or correction to any area that is drifting outside of the budget parameters.
A primary concentration within the monthly scorecard evaluation was the substantial amount of overtime incurred. The following areas were identified as recurring occurrences:
- Critical incidents
- Increased training requirements
- Staffing shortages and retention.
In response, various control measures were instituted, including supervisor approval of any overtime. This, combined with the use of the scorecard, reduced overtime hours by approximately 5% from 2022, which resulted in a $22,000 savings.
To address staffing shortages/retention, Lane requested a mid-year salary increase for Corrections Officers. He presented a proposal that raised their pay without increasing the overall 2023 budget. The Bartholomew County Council approved. Now, the Bartholomew County Jail is almost fully staffed.
Through the use of the data-based scorecard and various control measures, the Sheriff’s Office is returning about $585,000 of its $13,000,000 budget for 2023, with 80% of these funds being excess salaries and benefits as a result of staffing shortages throughout a majority of the year.
Lane stated, “As Sheriff, I made a commitment to manage the Sheriff’s Office budget like a business. Our first-year efforts have made a sizable difference in the 2023 budget from that of 2022. I have a responsibility to county taxpayers to continue to operate conscientiously without sacrificing the safety and services provided to our community.”