— CUMBERLAND — The Allegany County Detention Center projects a decrease of $450,000 in reimbursements for housing federal prisoners.
Lucky for the Allegany County Board of Commissioners, it’s not a hole detention center officials are asking the county to fill.
Assistant Administrator Lee Cutter asked the commissioners Thursday during a public budget hearing for $77,924 less in fiscal 2011 funding than what the agency is scheduled to receive this budget year, which ends June 30. That’s despite an expected loss of another $18,000 in fees collected from boarding state prisoners.
It’s perhaps one of the few issues where the commissioners and Sheriff David Goad, jail administrator, can agree. Goad and County Administrator David Eberly penned a letter to U.S. Marshal Johnny L. Hughes in Baltimore. The letter, sent Tuesday, asked Hughes to reconsider sending federal inmates to the state’s correctional system.
“If we were able to sustain a population of at least 20 federal inmates during the year, the county could avoid the potential closing of a portion of our facility,” Eberly and Goad wrote, “and offset the negative impact to other county operations.”
Goad said the jail currently has about 12 federal prisoners. Construction of a new detention pod in 2002 took into consideration input from the federal prison system, which indicated a need for additional beds. It was a winning situation for the county, officials said, because the revenue helped offset the county’s operational costs and helped to pay off the bonds needed to construct the facility.
Cutter said the office has tightened its figurative belt and expects to realize an estimated $85,000 in savings in 2011. Projections show a $50,000 decrease in electricity costs, a $25,000 decrease for gas heat and a total of $10,000 less for water and housekeeping property maintenance.
There was more good news for the commissioners, who are tasked with approving a budget with the anticipation that state budget cuts to local governments will be forthcoming. Courtney Thomas, executive director of the Human Resources Development Commission, and Deputy Director Dan Lewellen asked the commissioners for an appropriation of $707,570 — the same amount that’s been approved for at least six straight years.
“We’ve done an awful lot to hold the line,” said Thomas, who noted that in this economic downturn, HRDC has served more clients than ever.
In sympathizing with the commissioners, Thomas outlined some of her agency’s own budget struggles. She said HRDC has accepted 1,279 new applications for energy assistance on top of the estimated 5,000 applications received in past years. Section 8 housing is a disaster, she said.
Combined, the city of Cumberland and Allegany County have 700 vouchers. There are 997 families on the waiting list. The last person on that list, Thomas said, can expect waiting about five more years before receiving a voucher.
“The money is very much needed,” Thomas said.
With a total budget of about $11 million, Thomas said HRDC impacted some 22,000 individuals in 2009, or about one out of every three residents.
Kevin Spradlin can be reached at kspradlin@times-news.com.
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