It appears Russell County deputies will not receive funding for hazardous duty retirement in next year’s county budget and, for now, the issue appears dead.
WJRS NEWS learned earlier today that Sheriff Derek Polston has declined the offer made by county magistrates last week to move his office to a fee pooling system and thus receive the funding for hazardous duty.
Upon request, WJRS NEWS was provided a copy of a letter from Polston, delivered yesterday to County Judge- Executive Randy Marcum, where Polston stated that moving his office to a fee pooling system would not be in the “best interests of his office or the people he serves.”
Polston said he was grateful to the fiscal court for considering implementation of hazardous duty retirement for the deputies.
Marcum told WJRS NEWS that he and the county magistrates wanted to provide hazardous duty retirement and will continue to work to make it happen.
Under a fee pooling system, all revenues generated by the sheriff’s office are turned over to the county treasurer who pays expenses and invoices for the sheriff’s office upon approval by the fiscal court.
The Kentucky Association of Counties told WJRS NEWS last week that over 30 of Kentucky counties currently use such a system.
During a recent fiscal court meeting and budget discussion, Polston was informed that the county budget would include funding for hazardous duty retirement as he requested if he agreed to move to a fee pooling system.
WJRS NEWS has also learned that the proposed budget has been submitted to Department of Local Government for review as required by state law, and based on Polston’s decision, the proposed budget does not include hazardous duty retirement for county deputies.