Advertisement Judge orders Clay County to restore sheriff’s budget Spokesman says Sheriff Paul Vescovo pleased with judge's ruling Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A judge has ordered the Clay County Commission to restore nearly $1 million to the sheriff’s budget to help pay for inmates’ food and health care, after the sheriff claimed two members of the commission “drastically underfunded” his most recent budget because of “political conflict” and “retaliation.”Judge Daren Adkins ordered the Commission to restore almost all of Clay County Sheriff Paul Vescovo’s $1.7 million request for his 2018 and 2019 budgets, saying chief budget officer Laurene Portwood did not present a “complete financial plan” to the commission to fund the sheriff’s operations.In the lawsuit filed in April, Vescovo claimed he would run out of money to pay contracts to provide medical care, food, and other necessities to house inmates and keep the county safe. He singled out Commissioners Luann Ridgeway and Gene Owen, claiming they have a “longstanding conflict with the sheriff.”Vescovo claimed Ridgeway and Owen retaliated against his 2018 and 2019 budgets after he referred a case of criminal tampering of public documents by Portwood, the Clay County budget officer, to the Missouri State Highway Patrol in 2017.In Thursday’s ruling, the judge said Portwood and the commission’s actions were “arbitrary, capricious or in bad faith” to the extent they “intentionally manipulated” the budgeting process.“Sheriff Vescovo is extremely pleased with the judge’s ruling,” said Clay County sheriff’s spokesman Will Akin. “This will assure that the sheriff will be able to conduct operations that he is obligated to conduct by statute”Akin said the sheriff’s office was confident in the merits of the suit -- and the information provided by the sheriff -- throughout the whole process. Clay County spokeswoman Nikki Thorn issued the following statement:“While Clay County does not agree with the decision in favor of the plaintiff on count one, we are pleased that the sheriff’s claim for attorney fees was not deemed valid by the judge. Clay County is grateful the judge expedited his decision and quickly issued a ruling.”"I’m pleased that the judge ruled in favor of the county on two of the three counts alleged in this lawsuit over taxpayer dollars. While I don’t agree with the judge’s decision on one of the three counts in the lawsuit, more time is needed to consider what next steps will be. I’m glad the judge ruled quickly so Clay County can move forward," Clay County Commissioner Luann Ridgeway said.“The retaliatory budgeting by commissioners Ridgeway and Owen regarding the sheriff has no place in responsible government,” Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte said. “I believe the commission should comply at the earliest possible time with the ruling by Judge Adkins.”Nolte said he would call a special session of the Clay County Commission at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 9 to handle the judge’s order to fund the sheriff’s budget.