Strapped sheriff's office gets infusion of funds

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- The Muskogee County sheriff doesn't have to worry about paying his bills the rest of this month. <br><br>At a meeting with county officials Monday, Sheriff Cliff Sinyard found

Tuesday, March 7th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- The Muskogee County sheriff doesn't have to worry about paying his bills the rest of this month.

At a meeting with county officials Monday, Sheriff Cliff Sinyard found that a $70,000 check from the state Department of Corrections and a $7,000 payment from the city of Muskogee had arrived.

Both checks were compensation for prisoners who had been held at the county jail.

"I think the real crisis, for this month, is behind us," County Commissioner Bruce Crittenden said.

Sinyard's office is trying to come up with about $336,000 to operate until July, when a new fiscal year begins. He already has spent his $500,000-plus in county general-fund allocations.

The biggest budget problem, he has said, is with the $1 millio or so he expected for prisoner compensation from city, state and federal sources. The number of revenue-generating prisoners has decreased in recent years, he said.

At the same time, Sinyard has raised his staff to 85 employees from 51 four years ago in the previous administration. The budget shortfall that could result was estimated at anywhere from $330,000 to $600,000, according to reports.

Last week, county officers warned Sinyard to cut back his staff dramatically or implement pay cuts. He rejected those ideas.

By late last week, County Clerk Karen Anderson told Sinyard that she would not sign off on anymore purchase orders because the sheriff barely made payroll this month and was fast accumulating more debt.

With Monday's deposits, Anderson said, the Sheriff's Office now has about $158,000 in its account. She will start approving funds disbursements again until that account dips to about $103,000, which is the amount anticipated for payroll this month.