Cleveland County Board OKs Funds-Transfer To Support Jail

The Cleveland County Budget Board has approved a transfer of money so the county can make payroll for jail employees next month.

The board voted Tuesday to transfer $350,000 from the sheriff's office operational budget into the jail operations budget. County Sheriff Joe Lester had requested the funding for the jail, saying it would be unable to meet its payroll obligations for April without additional money.

The move will still need approval from the Cleveland County Excise Board.

The budget board also recommended that Lester cancel any blanket purchase orders for the rest of the fiscal year. Lester has said that the county's jail was not fully funded for the current fiscal year, and that more money was needed to keep it operational.