Misuse of Public Funds?

[Patriot]

What is Solantra, I know about the Solyndra Loan.

My mistake, Frank.  I meant to reference Solyndra.  Thanks for the correction.

[Wilma]

Janet could explain this better than I can and maybe she will later.

The sheriff receives a set amount for each meal that he serves.  Let's say that he gets $2.00 per meal and he serves 10 meals.  Thus he receives $20.00.  Out of this $20.00 he has to pay for the food that is served whether it costs him more or costs him less.  He has to keep track of just how many meals he serves and to whom he serves them.  This is turned into the County Commissioners and they pay him the set amount per meal.  There is no way that he can make a big profit from this without starving the prisoners.  He has to pay for the food before he is paid for the meals.  Any questions?

[readyaimduck]

Only a comment:
He has a budget for foods at $2 per prisoner. 
If he exceeds that budget in one month with an influx of out of county peoples and the reimbursement doesn't come in...then he has to pay out of pocket till that other counties check comes in.

Floating money. 
His budget is for inmates food costs, and their is a bottom line, and if it goes over then he has to move monies from one account to that one to balance.
IF, and that is a big very slippery slope IF he/she is making money, then it is skimmed off something else.

Janet.....advise.
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[readyaimduck]

Steve:
I agree that foods can be purchased in a very low bulk way and cooked well.
I was a food supervisor for 10 years and always came in under budget for food, but portions were State approved and the taste was there (even a puree peanut butter & jelly sandwich that looked like one)

I also might mean as in our case, the comissioners dictated who we can order supplies from.
If I went local and bought homegrown stuff at half the cost, it wasn't ok as it had to come from a BONEFIDE supplier that met the 'needs' of the commisioners...just saying.

Those are questions to ask at the next meeting.
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[Janet Harrington]

First, let me say thank you to kshillbilly for setting me straight on the road boss' wife not going to Tennessee to help with the truck. Thank you for that.

Now, on the sheriff's meal. You guys have pretty much answered everything that was asked. The sheriff has to make the meals for the amount that the commissioner agreed to pay. So if the sheriff is getting $2.00 a meal per prisoner that is $6.00 per day. Now, he has to feed three meals a day. There have to be a minimum of 2 hot meals and 1 cold meal. The sheriff can feed 3 hot meals if he so chooses.

Does the sheriff make a profit on these meals? Nope. Like my mother said, if the sheriff is making a profit, then he is starving the prisoners. I sure hope that the county commissioners are paying more than $2.00 a meal. Like I always told the commissioners, can you eat on $6.00 a day. Nope. No one can.

The sheriff's dispatchers are the ones who make the meals using the groceries that the sheriff provides. If he has meal plans, I would be surprised. We used to write down what we fed for every meal and were able to show that to whoever needed to see it.

And, yes, the sheriff pays for the food before he gets paid by the commissioners.

As for the out-of-county prisonsers, the county gets paid a set fee from the other county. The sheriff then uses this money to help support his budget. However, he still can't go over his budget.  This money goes into the general fund to be used for whatever the commissioners say it will be used for. Doesn't mean the sheriff will get to use it, but most of the time it supports his budget.

[Janet Harrington]

Speaking of interesting uses of public funds.. I heard a rumor that the Sheriff receives a set amount of taxpayer funds for prisoner meals, that the sheriff personally makes meal decisions and buys food for the prisoners..... and any money not spent is kept by the sheriff as personal income.  Any truth to this one?

Patriot, I think I forgot about this part of the questions. No, there is not any truth to the sheriff keeping this as personal income. If the sheriff did make a profit, he would have to report it as income, but it doesn't ever make a profit.

[Patriot]

Thanks for the info.

[george]

The sheriff department actually made money last year, quit a bit as I heard and it did go into the county fund to be used for what the commissioners decided it to go to. As I recall before the current sheriff was in office the sheriff department used to order out food from local restaurants quit frequently for the prisoners. I have no idea how anyone could pay for that with $2.00 a meal. I sure can't eat out for that. So it's good to know that some are in the black during this economic condition.

Speaking of misuse of funds, Elk Valley School pays the "maintenance supervisor" a sum of $7,000 per year and for what? To say when a bus needs it's oil changed? Couldn't the bus drivers write the mileage down and say when it's time, well apparently not. So the maintenance supervisor says a certain bus needs some maintenance done. Who does it but the same maintenance supervisor? Let's say the bus needs some repairs. Who does the repairs? The maintenance supervisor, that's who. Then who inspects and makes sure the maintenance and repairs were done? The maintenance supervisor of course. How convenient.

[Patriot]

Speaking of misuse of funds, Elk Valley School pays the "maintenance supervisor" a sum of $7,000 per year and for what? To say when a bus needs it's oil changed? Couldn't the bus drivers write the mileage down and say when it's time, well apparently not. So the maintenance supervisor says a certain bus needs some maintenance done. Who does it but the same maintenance supervisor? Let's say the bus needs some repairs. Who does the repairs? The maintenance supervisor, that's who. Then who inspects and makes sure the maintenance and repairs were done? The maintenance supervisor of course. How convenient.

Interesting.  Where can I find a job where I'm paid to direct the customer to my other paid job?

[readyaimduck]

you eat on $6.00 a day. Nope. No one can.

perhaps not you and I Janet, however those who are incarerated CAN  sustain on 2 hot meals, and one cold on $2/day.
I will get a llist of meals and break it down for my county at cost...
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