The Warren County Sheriff’s Department is expecting $1.7 million in new revenue this year, thanks to a half-cent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2018.The Warren County Commission approved its 2019 budget Jan. 28. The budget includes a total of $4.8 million in spending for the sheriff’s department, and $19 million overall.Sheriff Kevin Harrison said the county plans to use much of the money from last April’s Proposition P to hire nine new officers over the course of this year and increase pay for officers. Current officers received a pay raise as soon as the budget was approved Jan. 28, Harrison said.A major goal for the Prop P funding is to improve recruitment and retention for the sheriff’s department. Harrison said starting pay has been increased to $18.50 per hour for new patrol deputies and $15 per hour for officers at the Warren County Jail. Pay for higher ranking officers has been adjusted upward to be more competitive with their counterparts in Warrenton and Wright City, the sheriff said.The sheriff himself did not receive any pay increase, retaining his salary of just under $63,000.With improved pay for officers, Harrison hopes to attract more high-quality recruits and keep them longer. He said the 2019 budget includes hiring four patrol deputies, four jail detention officers and one detective. More officers would be hired in future years, when the budget shows those positions can be sustained.“I don’t want to try to grow things too fast. The recruitment to find four deputies and a detective, to hire them, to train them ... that’s going to be a busy year,” Harrison said.Purchases of patrol vehicles, along with repairs, upgrades and other costs at the county jail, represent over $300,000 in other spending increases over last year.Total revenue for the sheriff’s department in 2019 is projected to be $4.7 million, up $1.2 million from last year. The increase from Prop P is slightly offset by a scaling back of funding from Warren County’s general revenue.The Warren County Commission plans to transfer $490,000 from its general revenue fund, which pays for most day-to-day operations other than law enforcement. Last year’s transfer of $755,000 was far above average and not sustainable, officials at the time said.Harrison explained that part of the objective for the new Prop P funding is to stabilize general revenue transfers to an average close to $490,000.Overall, Harrison said he is pleased with the progress the sheriff’s department is making thanks to the goodwill of voters.“The (Prop P) vote was a huge vote of confidence, and we have to live up to the trust that the public gave us.”County budget up $2 millionThe 2019 budget approved by the Warren County Commission totals more than $19.4 million in spending, an increase of $2.2 million from last year. Most of that increase is accounted for by the new funding for the sheriff’s department.Presiding Commissioner Joe Gildehaus said most county employees are getting a small raise this year, and that health insurance costs continue to rise.Also this year, the county will begin paying off a $3.6 million loan to build more jail housing within the county courthouse building. Sheriff’s department offices are being moved to the basement of the court building so that housing for around 50 additional inmates can be added to the main level.There is $5 million budgeted for county road and bridge work this year, with another $1.7 million set aside for building and grounds maintenance.The county estimates that its total revenue this year from taxes, service fees and payments from other government agencies will be $15.7 million, according to budget documents.Although budgeted spending is higher than revenue, Warren County typically does not spend its entire budget, and several million dollars stay in reserve for the next year. Even if the county spent its entire $19.4 million budget, $1.2 million would remain in the county’s reserves.Warren County Sheriff's Department