"We've been working harder than ever before, and now we need more money to work with."

That's the message Lawrence County Sheriff Tim Sexton gave the Lawrence County Commission Thursday.

Sexton requested the commission provide $160,000 to pay salaries through the end of the year, and allot an additional $250,000 to the sheriff's office budget in the coming fiscal year. Sexton said he understood the county general fund is as cash-strapped as his own department and suggested the commissioners use money from the half-cent sales tax fund that pays for emergency services.

In 1999, the sheriff's office received a COPS hiring grant to pay for five road patrol deputies. That grant ended this year, leaving the sheriff's office short on payroll funds.

Sexton said the number of calls his deputies handles has increased.

According to sheriff's office statistics, deputies handled 10,312 calls in 2002, and expects to handle 10,380 calls by the time this year ends. The number of protective orders (for domestic violence cases) handled will likely double from last year; the number of inmates received at the county jail has increased by more than 60.

Sexton said in addition, the unfunded state and federal mandates over the years have increased as well. The sheriff's office is now expected to assist in Homeland Security efforts, handle sexual offender notifications and address verifications and find space in the county jail to house fourth and fifth degree felons who were once sent to prison.

"I know money doesn't grow on trees here is Lawrence County," Sexton told the commission. "But we can't continue to have additional warrants, protective orders and calls and not have additional funding."

The requested $250,000 increase next year would be used to hired two new deputies, a dispatcher and a clerk to help handle the increased work load;

pay for seven new cruisers; computer upgrades; pay increases that have already been approved by the commission; and step up drug enforcement efforts.

Sexton said his request for money for new cruisers is essential, as

a majority of the cars in his fleet have already logged 100,000 or more miles.

Commission President George Patterson told Sexton that the commission had pledged earlier this year to make sure those five road deputies would not be laid off because the COPS grant expired, but he warned that next year's county budget would be tighter than this year. He said he might consider using half-cent sales tax monies to help the sheriff's office.

"We've got to care for 911 and SEOEMS (with the half-cent sales tax) but if we've got the money to give we might look at that." Patterson said. "We've got to treat every office in the courthouse fairly."