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Schools to get four new SROs
SRO Badge dk w sm
After a great deal of discussion on the matter, the remaining four DeKalb County Schools without school resource officers (SRO) will soon have a policeman on campus.An (SRO) has been in place at DCHS for several years, but DeKalb West, Smithville Elementary, DeKalb Middle and Northside Elementary have none.After much deliberation, it was agreed that two of the new SROs will be funded from the county general budget, and two will be paid for by the school system.Money to equip and train all four officers is included in the county general budget and the patrol cars for the four officers will be paid for out of the county general's capital projects fund.The officers will work out of the sheriff’s department.The changes will take effect if the county's consolidated budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year is adopted by the commission at a meeting set for July 30 at 6:30 p.m. downstairs in the courthouse.Expenditures for the 2013-14 county budget total $42,208,422.Under the proposed spending plan, the property tax rate will remain at $1.62 per $100 of assessed value.The County General Fund receives 82 cents of the $1.62, while the Highway/Public Works Department gets three cents, General Capital Projects receives 10 cents, 12 cents goes to Debt Service and schools get 55 cents.Capital projects fund expenses include:•Motor vehicles: (patrol cars for sheriff's department) $131, 000, including $50,000 for four used patrol cars for new SRO officers.•Other equipment: (Fire Department Turnout Gear) $23,000,•Building Improvements: $1,700 to purchase a roll up door for the rescue squad building,*Building Construction: $30,000 (repairs to the Veterans Building)*Building Construction: $68,000 (repairs to Omega apparel building),*Building Construction: $50,000 (courthouse repairs),*Building Improvements: $20,000 (new roof and doors on a building at the Main Fire Station)*Building Improvements: $8,700 (shed to cover rescue squad boat).The commission is also expected to adopt a resolution on July 30 to appropriate a total of $145,734 for the following non-profit organizations:•DeKalb Sparks Softball: $150•Upper Cumberland Development District: $3,411•Tennessee Division of Forestry: $1,500•DeKalb County Rescue Squad: $16,821•Plateau Mental Health: $7,180•Families First: $750•Senior Citizens Program: $26,934•DeKalb Soil Conservation District: $34,062•DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce: $15,000•Imagination Library: $7,200•Genesis House: $1,500•Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center: $1,780•DeKalb County Fair: $1,500•WCTE-TV: $5,000•Prospect Incorporated: $12,500•Upper Cumberland Human Resources: $1,200•UCHRA Assessment-Homemaker Aide, etc: $9,245