Christian Fiscal Court approves sheriff’s, clerk’s budgets

Christian Fiscal Court approved the 2019 budgets for the sheriff’s department and clerk’s office during its first meeting of the new year Tuesday morning.

Both offices operate on a calendar year budget and Treasurer Walter Cummings says County Clerk Mike Kem’s $1.1 million budget is slightly lower than last year—mostly due to a decrease in part-time staffing.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Tyler DeArmond’s $4.1 million budget is up from last year—but the sheriff’s office will be reimbursed for the salary of a new resource officer at Hopkinsville Community College if a proposed agreement is finalized.

In other action, magistrates made good on a $219,000 pay request for ongoing renovations to the Alhambra Theatre.

It was the first meeting for magistrates Magaline Ferguson, Jerry Gilliam and Phillip Peterson.

While the amount of weddings hosted at Judge-Executive Steve Tribble’s Chapel of Love has been down slightly in recent weeks, he’s up to $291,530 donated to the county through weddings since he took office in 1994.