[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/P2xbMYdkbQk” height=”340″]

INEZ, Ky. — The fate of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office is uncertain at this time.

In Martin County Fiscal Court’s latest budget, the sheriff’s office is not listed.

According to Sheriff John Kirk’s Facebook page, the sheriff’s office has turned over all of its fees to the fiscal court and it won’t have any money to start out with in July.

Judge Executive Kelly Callaham told EKB News Wednesday the court is repealing the fee pooling ordinance because the court no longer has the cash flow to do so.

“[Sheriff John Kirk] will be in full control of his office,” said Callaham.

Sheriff Kirk’s post also states unless the department is able to get an advancement from the state, the sheriff’s office will have to come up with $80,000 on its own. He says if there’s no money, there will have to be cuts to the department. Judge Callaham says the court has offered to give money allocated for upcoming HUD projects to the sheriff’s office.

“We’ll take the money out,” added Callaham. “We talked about seeing if the state would okay us to advance him $75,000 right off so he’ll have the cash flow until he gets his long interest loan. He can take care of everything.” 

Callaham says much of the budget is mandated by state law. He says the court has also made cuts in the past in order to keep the sheriff’s office up and running.

“Law enforcement is very important for this county. We have a lot of drugs. He’s the elected sheriff and that’s what his elected duty is, other than to collect taxes and bailiff court, it’s law enforcement. If he fails to do law enforcement, the county will have to take other measures.”

Beyond eight Kentucky State Police troopers stationed in Martin, Magoffin and Johnson counties, the sheriff’s office is the only law enforcement offered in Martin County.

Sheriff John Kirk declined an interview.