Athens County will pay for two sheriffs but receive the services of one, county officials have said, noting they aren’t completely sure how to pay both Interim Sheriff Rodney Smith and suspended Sheriff Pat Kelly.
While Smith takes over as for Kelly as he awaits a jury trial six months from now, both men are to earn a $69,372 annual salary until Kelly is acquitted, pleads guilty or is found guilty, according to Ohio Revised Code.
There’s only enough money allocated in the county budget to pay for one sheriff.
“In the sheriff’s official salary line, I only have enough to pay one elected official,” Athens County Auditor Jill Thompson said. “At some point we’ll run out. [I’m] not sure what we’ll do then.”
Between now and the Sept. 29 jury trial, Athens would likely have to spend about $67,000 — more than $33,000 each — to pay both Smith and Kelly.
The money allotted for the sheriff’s salary will likely run out sometime this summer, Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason said, adding the issue of where to get the money to pay two sheriffs is “something we will evaluate as we go on and deal with at the appropriate time.”
If Kelly is found guilty, the county could seek to recover the money it paid him while he is suspended, Eliason said.
Smith said the county’s having to pay two sheriffs would not take away from any programs or funding the sheriff needs.
“We’ll just have to keep a close watch and keep things going as smoothly as possible,” he said.
Though Smith is a retired employee of the sheriff’s office, he was not receiving any pension payments through the county, as that is handled by the state, Eliason said.
Smith will hold the position of interim sheriff until the Athens County Democratic Party votes April 8 to select a long-term interim during Kelly’s suspension.
The accusations against Kelly include perjury, theft in office and money laundering. He pleaded “not guilty” in February to a 25-count indictment handed down by a special grand jury.
In a previous interview, Eliason said he hopes the 47-member committee keeps Smith as interim sheriff, but County Democratic Party chair Kathy Hecht said with the varying opinions of the members, “it is hard to say how they’ll vote.”
Hecht said she does not personally know Smith or the other candidate who applied for the job, Sheriff’s Detective Jack Taylor, very well, but said both were qualified.
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