Burke County Sheriff’s Office, commission divided over funds
BURKE COUNTY. (WRDW/WAGT) - New questions are surfacing about funding for the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Burke County , the sheriff’s office received $50,000 from the housing authority and another $375,000 from Plant Vogtle in 2021.
We’ve been digging into the controversy all day as the sheriff’s office addressed allegations in a press conference Thursday morning.
It all comes down to who has the right to control the money. Sheriff Williams says because his office applied for it, they get to oversee it.
Some commissioners and their lawyer disagree with that and say the law has sided with them in the past.
“Bull sh*t. It’s bullsh*t. It is not true. And it is one-sided. It’s very disingenuous,” said Burke County Sheriff Williams.
A heated battle between Sheriff Williams and Burke County commission.
“This is another attempt by the county manager, who has pressured me to dismiss our mandamus action. They don’t want that action going to the court of appeals,” he said.
Williams says the current backlash boils down to a lawsuit filed in 2021. The county’s lawyer says the lawsuit ruled in favor of the county’s right to oversee the sheriff’s payroll. Williams filed an appeal to that decision this year.
“At the end of the day folks, this comes down to control,” said Williams.
Some allege Williams is now keeping grant money “hush-hush.”
According to a timeline from the county manager, on Dec. 14, the county asked the sheriff’s office if money from the housing authority grant would be coming soon.
A representative with the sheriff’s office responded, “I have no timetable on the funds being made available.”
Despite the fact, documents show the money was already deposited in a sheriff’s office three months prior.
“Our budget analyst responded in saying ‘I don’t know when you will get it.’ He did not say, ‘we don’t have it’. He did not say, ‘I don’t know when the housing authority is going to send it to us’,” said Williams.
Williams argues he has the right to oversee the grant money, particularly that from Plant Vogtle.
“$375,000 was given to us by a private entity. A private entity. None of that is government money, and it is not subject to auditing,” he said.
Though Barry Fleming, the attorney for the county argues Plant Vogtle is a quasi-public organization. But Williams stands his ground.
“At the end of the day, we did not hide a single dime. Not one,” said Williams.
The sheriff’s office did send over some financial documents to the county auditor; however, those did not include a breakdown of $35,000 of credit card charges.
In an email sent to county officials Thursday, Williams said he will not send over any more documentation regarding the $375,000 from Plant Vogtle.
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