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Each meeting of the Clark County Fiscal Court features decisive actions.

While last Thursday’s meeting was, in many ways, no different, it also featured a discussion of specific points.

With Clark County Jailer Frank Doyle present, the budget and other matters of the Clark County Detention Center (CCDC) were discussed.

Early, when discussing the transfers list, Magistrate Chris Davis noted that $150,000 was being transferred from the general fund to the detention center.

Noting that the budget accounted for $1.277 million, a number corroborated by Clark County Treasurer Mary McLemore, Davis registered concern with the idea that this would equal $690,000 cumulatively that has been sent to CCDC.

Magistrate Ernest Pasley also shared this concern.

“I think we need to talk about this,” Davis said. “We’re over halfway through our transfers, and we’re not even through the first quarter of the fiscal year.”

Doyle responded, asking that he be contacted personally about future matters.

“Reach out to the jailer. That’s who runs the jail. I’m the elected official,” he said. “I’ll bring you the facts, my friend.”

During a conversation that at times featured disagreement, Doyle reiterated the use of the home incarceration program and added that federal revenue fluctuates.

He also stated that – while the recent installation of new air conditioning units had affected financial numbers somewhat – it was partly due to the problem being ignored for far too long.

“We’re one of the only departments that generate revenue,” Doyle said. “Had we not had the setback that was caused by not paying attention to failing equipment, we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation today or any other time. We wouldn’t be talking about the budget transfers. We wouldn’t be talking about the money issues…I didn’t create this. I’m not [going to] wear that hat.”

Davis noted that there was no attempt to discredit CCDC or their staff.

He noted that information regarding the transfer had only been made available as of that morning.

“From our perspective, we got this email to us yesterday afternoon. I didn’t see a physical copy until this morning,” Davis said. “If we see a 6-digit transfer at least once a month, we’ve got to talk about it.”

The transfer list passed 5-1, with Pasley serving as the lone “No” vote.

Though agreeing to the transfer, multiple magistrates, including Steve Craycraft and Mark Miller, showed interest in talking about the budget at least once monthly for deeper understanding.

At the start of the meeting, resident Robin Kunkel mentioned concerns about the Clark County Detention Center being overpopulated.

“It’s something I’ve kind of been watching for…really the whole time I’ve lived in this county, which has been five or six years”, she said. “The numbers right now are well over 200 on the detention center’s website. I know that includes probation and home incarceration, so it’s not necessarily all in the physical building, but it seems like it’s consistently high.”

Doyle addressed the issue later in the meeting.

“I understand her concern. It concerns us as well. I want her and the public…to know that myself, county attorney [William Elkins], and all else have had these conversations probably the past four or five years heavily about what [we can] do,” Doyle said. “Our job is to care [for] the custody and control of these people. That’s what we do…[with] the method of the county court system and how it works, there’s only so much that County Attorney Elkins can do. There’s only so much that the judges can do. It just takes time and process…I don’t want people to think it’s a jail [caused] problem. It’s just a jail problem we have to deal with.”