During a meeting of the Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos urged the board to include an additional $2.1 million in the budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
“You’re really putting me in a bind, and I don’t know what else to do,” Nanos said adressing the board of supervisors.
In a letter addressed to the board, he expressed concerns about a projected deficit before the start of the new fiscal year.
He pointed out the removal of vacancy savings and the denial of an extra $2.3 million for supplemental needs.
“I’m already in the hole $4.4 million,” he exclaimed.
The sheriff also highlighted over $3 million in unfunded spending for the 2023 fiscal year, including retention costs, pay raises, and the elimination of trainee pay rates.
“You didn’t fund those. I had to absorb them into my budget,” Nanos said. “And then at the end of the year, I was short.”
During the discussion, Board Member Steve Christy disagreed with Nanos’ assertion of a department deficit and recommended delaying any decisions until next month.
“At this point, if we have to make a decision today, I’m going to have to vote ‘no,’ and I don’t know if I want to do that at this particular point,” Christy said.
In a 3-2 vote, the board ultimately adopted a recommendation to allocate up to $1.2 million from the county’s general fund to the Sheriff’s Department for non-personnel related financial needs.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to address the Sheriff’s deficit again during their second monthly meeting on August 21.