Newton County approves DA salary reallocations and funds grant-administrator position

The Newton County Commissioners on May 28 approved two budget amendments: reallocating restricted 'SP22' funds to eligible district attorney salaries and funding an existing but unfunded grant-administrator position in the sheriff’s department for the remainder of 2024.

A speaker who identified those constraints on the record said the SP22 funds could be used only for certain DA salaries and that about $26,000 needed to be reallocated to spend the money before the deadline. The court discussed phrasing the budget amendment so ordinary readers would understand what the line item represented. Commissioner Fi and Commissioner White participated in the discussion; the amendment was approved by voice vote.

Separately, the court considered funding a grant-administrator position that was included in the budget but not funded. County officials said hiring a grant administrator would help manage grant proposals and avoid expense surprises on projects such as a recent bridge job that required additional soil stabilization work. The remainder-of-year cost for the position, including benefits, was stated on the record as $38,988; the court moved and approved funding the line out of the county general fund cash pool.

Speakers stressed the administrative value of the grant administrator in tracking grant balances and coordinating with engineers and external contractors. The court approved both budget amendments on voice votes. The transcript contains several numeric transcription artifacts; dollar amounts reported above reflect what was said on the record and are noted where uncertain.