GAINESVILLE - Gainesville real estate executive Frank Norton, Jr., who helped fuel the debate over the Hall County budget and a possible tax increase several weeks ago, has filed an Opens Records request asking for documentation about sheriff's department funding and spending.
Norton, president of the Norton Agency, seeks information ranging from budget and expenditures for the past ten years to the health of sheriff's department personnel and the impact it has had on health insurance rates. He also questions the number of deputies assigned to the courthouse and whether the county should be boarding out-of-county prisoners at the county jail and whether that service is paying for itself.
"...housing out of county prisoners is not public safety, that is housing (I know housing when I see it) and it certainly does not help the citizens and taxpayers of Hall County," Norton said.
In making the request, Norton said "I'm interested in the economics of our great county and maintaining its economic health and quality of life. The patrols and public safety do a great job for our community but, with a $30 million budget, one third of the county expenditures, the public has a right to have answers to questions regarding the role of the sheriff's department in the county budget and the tax implications."
He said his recent comments "simply used the Sheriff's department as an example of runaway county expenditures, waste, inefficiencies and lack of clear business practices."
Norton said Monday he has already had some of his questions answered in meetings with Sheriff Steve Cronic and other county officials and hoped to learn more in a followup meeting later in the day on some of the "more readily available" data.
Asked what he will do with the information when he gets it, Norton said "Well, I can study it and I intend to gain comfort, perhaps, in their budget infrastructure. But, also, it is, from my standpoint, important that the general public needs to know and I encourage the sheriff's department to publish the budget and the detailed backup."
Norton added that if they don't he is prepared to proceed and "certainly make the Open Records data available (to the public) but I think it is their role to publish their budget and the pieces that fit into their budget."
Norton must bear the cost the county incurs in gathering the data but says he has received no cost estimate from the county and no indication how long it might take pull all the data.
A spokesman for Sheriff Cronic said "we received the request for information Friday. Sheriff Cronic later met and discussed the issue with Mr. Norton. Sheriff's office staff will be meeting Monday with Norton to clarify the scope of the request and will assemble the information requested."
Col. Jeff Strickland went on to say "the Hall County Sheriff's Office has always been operated in an efficient and transparent manner and has always welcomed and encouraged members of the community to ask questions and look at any area of their sheriff's office."
Strickland said the office handles several requests for information each week and this one is no different but, he added, "they usually cover one or two areas."
The full text of Norton's Open Records request as provided by Norton to AccessNorthGa.com:
To Whom It May Concern:
Freedom of Information
I strongly believe in public safety, police protection, the security of our families' homes and community. That, I believe is a county's top priority. My recent letter to the editor simply used the Sheriff's department as an example of runaway county expenditures, waste, inefficiencies and lack of clear business practices. I believe in public safety but housing out of county prisoners is not public safety that is housing (I know housing when I see it) and it certainly does not help the citizens and taxpayers of Hall County.
I'm interested in the economics of our great county and maintaining its economic health and quality of life. The Patrols and public safety do a great job for our community but, with a 30 million dollar budget, one third of the county expenditures, the public has a right to have answers to questions regarding the role of the Sheriff's department in the county budget and the tax implications.
Based on the Freedom of Information Act, I Frank K. Norton, Jr. a citizen of Hall County, request the following information.
General
Provide an itemized budget and actual expenditures for the Sheriff's department for the last 10 years. Include percentage of county millage rate that is applied to the Sheriff's department (10 years).
Provide the year by year 911 Sheriff's call report for the last 5 years and the Sheriff's department's published incident report. If they do not match provide an explanation.
Data should be county portion only, excluding calls in the cities with police forces.
How much money is in the Sheriff's confiscated money fund? How much was collected the last 5 years and provide an itemized accounting for the expenditure for those funds in each of the last 5 years.
How much did the Sheriff spend on the narcotics mobile command unit (provide the invoice)? How many times has it been used since purchase?
Provide a copy of the state/local legislation that explains what, where and how Sheriff confiscated funds are to be used.
What is the Hispanic crime incident rate (county portion only) for the last 10 years? How many Sheriff's officers are bilingual? How many officers assigned to gang task force?
Courthouse
Why are there 54 Sheriff's officers assigned to the court house with only 9 judges, 2 who only see prisoners by video feed? Are all 54 necessary? Provide job descriptions of courthouse assigned officers.
Why are there 3 to 4 guards stationed at the court house front metal detector along with a court house employee?
Jail
What is the true cost for housing out of county inmates, including added court costs for rent a prisoner criminal incidents while routed to and from our jail and while housed in Hall County. What are the future retirement costs placed on Hall County for employees used to supervise these inmates? Has this been fully funded by the per diem rental payment for these rent a prisoners .
How much of the current jail occupancy is Hall County criminal offenders? rent a prisoner who now have had Hall County original offenses? and rent a prisoners who have not had Hall County offenses?
How many rent a prisoner criminal offenses while incarcerated in Hall County have been seen by the District Attorney, Solicitor and court system over the last 5 years (by year)? What is the cumulative cost of the prosecution, trial and future added incarceration? Have these numbers been added to the rent a prisoner profit/loss model?
What are the current rent prisoners receivables (from other counties or state) connected with housing out of county prisoners? Who owes what? How long have these accounts been aging? If there are receivables, what prevents us from collecting?
Employment Practices
How much overtime was paid (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) to patrol officers (collectively), court assigned personnel (collectively) and jail staff collectively?
What is the current retirement policy for Sheriff's personnel and the total fund balance? The anticipated retirement shortfall?
How many Hall County retired Sheriff's employees double dip by being employed in law enforcement elsewhere?
What is the current retirement policy for Sheriff's personnel and the total fund balance? The anticipated retirement shortfall?
What is the current physical fitness requirement for Hall County Sheriff's departments? (endurance, stamina, weight, etc.) How many meet that requirement? Who approves the expectations? How has this effected the insurance rates?
How many ex Hall County Sheriff's department personnel are currently on workers comp? Partial disability? Permanent disability? And the annual collective cost for all categories?
What is the rate of heart attacks among Sheriff's personnel in the last 5 years? Percentage of regular smokers? How many are morbidly obese?
During the salary freeze (last two years) for all county employees, how many raises were given in the Sheriff's department? Total cost and a list of staff administrators and officers that received raises, with amounts?
What is the current insurance plan for the Hall County Sheriff's department? Employee co-pay? How many exceptions are made to co-pay policy? Who? Post retirement insurance plan? Annual cost of such plan?
During the county furlough period how many officers, staff and administration submitted overtime hours? Total cost and a list of all those who did and amount of raise.
Provide a list with salary including supplemental payments of overtime and total benefits of the top 10 highest paid Sheriff's department personnel.
I agree to pay the per copy cost prescribed by law for the above referenced material.
Frank K. Norton, Jr.
Saturday
June 28th, 2025
7:52AM
