Sheriff can't meet payroll

(Muskogee-AP) -- Muskogee County Sheriff Cliff Sinyard can't meet his March payroll. And he expects a 600-thousand dollar budget shortfall for the fiscal year. But Sinyard says he was right to expand

Thursday, March 2nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Muskogee-AP) -- Muskogee County Sheriff Cliff Sinyard can't meet his March payroll. And he expects a 600-thousand dollar budget shortfall for the fiscal year. But Sinyard says he was right to expand his force. He says he had to hire more employees for vital programs.

The county's budget expert will meet with county commissioners this afternoon to see if there's a way to help the sheriff. Sinyard says he has no immediate solution for the budget shortfall.

Suggestions by his employees include having deputies write more speeding tickets, voluntary layoffs, suspending the trash cop program, paycuts and suspending community officers. Sinyard says the community policing program is responsible for a drop in crime.