MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Commissioners were not happy.
Commissioners came prepared with questions today only to find out the man with the answers was out of town.
It turned out Sheriff Bill Oldham was at an FBI training in Texas.
And to add insult to injury, they didn’t even get a heads up Oldham wasn’t coming.
“He should have been here,” Commissioner Heidi Shafer told the Sheriff’s administrative staff. “We are more important than whatever is going to on in Texas.”
The Sheriff asked the commission for $2-million bump in his budget to take over security at Juvenile Court, but some said that request was unwarranted.
“They are getting $7.3-million from Juvenile Court to do this with. It’s not like they hare having to take it over and find money,” Commissioner Terry Roland explained.
Commissioners planned to drill Oldham on that request, and his recent administrative appointments that Commissioner Terry Roland said appeared to be political favors at the tax payers expense.
The Commission asked some clarifying questions about certain numbers in the budget, but it was no use.
The Sheriff had not even submitted the most recent version of his adjusted budget.
That meant they couldn’t look at the real numbers.
Roland said the sheriff was sending a clear message.
“Evidently he doesn’t care,” he said.