Nowata County Sheriff's Office Seeks New Sheriff; Deals With Financial Crisis

<p>In addition to losing three top positions in just under two weeks, the Nowata County Sheriff’s Office is also facing a new financial crisis.</p>

Monday, March 13th 2017, 6:30 pm

By: Amy Slanchik

Nowata County Sheriff's Office Seeks New Sheriff; Deals With Financial Crisis

In addition to losing three top positions in just under two weeks, the Nowata County Sheriff’s Office is also facing a new financial crisis.

The job of sheriff is still open, but Monday, Nowata County Commissioners appointed emergency manager Jeff Grissom to be the undersheriff.

Now the county commissioners are working to figure out how to replace the sheriff with someone who won't leave after the former sheriff, Richard Miller, resigned last week, blaming "stress" for his decision to leave after 16 years.

"I wasn't expecting it. It's a rough job being a sheriff. They have a lot of problems down there," Nowata County Commission Bud Frost said.

The latest problem - aside from the sheriff, undersheriff, and a jail administrator leaving - is the end of a contract with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

Nowata County is one of 10 across the state that will stop housing inmates.

The move, made by the DOC, is expected to save an estimated $775,000 by the end of the fiscal year. The decision was made in an attempt to close a nearly $3 million budget hole, a news release says.

“With the current budget climate, [DOC Director Joe] Allbaugh said the move was a necessary step,” the release says.

For Nowata County, at $32 a day per inmate, Frost said the cancellation of the contract will be a significant blow to the budget.

“It brought in needed money,” the county commissioner said. “They pay the county to keep the people and now they took 'em, so we're gonna lose that money."

Undersheriff Jeff Grissom estimates they'll have several hundred thousand dollars less to work with each year.

"I guess it could be a tough time, but we're working through it. We've got some ideas on how to get some more money to come in,” Grissom said.

Grissom started in the sheriff's office in 2008 as a jailer and worked his way up to sergeant. He's applied for the sheriff's position, and Frost said "several" other people have expressed interest in the job.

The county commissioners said they don't even know if they can appoint a sheriff or if voters will decide.

They're waiting on the district attorney to answer some questions and will talk about how to fill the sheriff's position at a meeting on Wednesday.