The Alachua County Commission and Sheriff Sadie Darnell are attempting to work in a combined effort to sort out next year's proposed budget. A majority of commissioners did say they would not budge from their working figure of approximately 65-million-dollars for the sheriff's budget. That is approximately $507,000 below Darnell's request. Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell said in a meeting today that a decision needs to be made as soon as possible because the effort has been talked to death.
Alachua County Commissioners have agreed that a consultant should study operations at the county jail, despite objections from Sheriff Sadie Darnell and many who worked at the jail. For a time, Sheriff Darnell said she would not continue her contract to operate the jail if commissioners agreed to the $179,000 study. But after commissioners committed to help add the staff at the jail, either at once or on a phased-in plan after the study, Darnell agreed to continue operating the jail.