In an interview with WIZS News, Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame expressed his dissatisfaction with the proposed Vance County FY 2019-20 budget.

Presented to the Vance County Board of Commissioners at their May 6 meeting, the budget proposes funding two of four requested deputy sheriff positions and none of the requested four detention officers for the Vance County Jail.

“Funding two of eight requested positions is not even meeting me halfway,” exclaimed Brame. “Without needed staff, we can’t continue to operate and keep Vance County secure and safe with calls to service steadily increasing and the opioid crisis spreading.”

“How can I, as the sheriff of this county, provide adequate and sufficient security for the residents if I don’t get the positions requested? The proposed budget doesn’t address the jail concerns at all,” Brame said.

After discussing the matter with staff, Brame’s office submitted a two-page rebuttal letter to the office of Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen this afternoon.

Brame expects further discussions to take place between his office, McMillen’s office and the Vance County Board of Commissioners in the coming weeks.

The Board of Commissioners are scheduled to meet in work sessions at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 20 and Tuesday, May 21 to discuss and review the proposed budget.

A public hearing regarding the budget will be held at the Board’s next regularly-scheduled meeting on Monday, June 3 at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, 122 Young Street, Henderson.

The final, approved version of the FY 2019-2020 budget will be effective July 1, 2019.