New sheriff faces old debts

(Jay-AP) -- Delaware County Sheriff Lendon Woodruff says the former sheriff left him with more than $35,000 in bills and payroll expenses.

Woodruff has given a list of the bills to county commissioners that he says should have been paid by former Sheriff Jim Earp last year.

Officials are also questioning the more than $1,000 Earp says five employees are owed for working January 1 and 2. Woodruff took office on January 2nd.

County records also show that Earp paid all his employees a total of $4,700 in bonuses in December.

Woodruff says his budget is half what Earp was given last year and he can't afford to run the new county jail and pay the old bills with that budget.