The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and Department of Corrections on Tuesday announced the layoff of five employees.

Sheriff Robert Dierks said the decision to layoff the workers “was a difficult one.” Budgetary constraints forced the sheriff to make the decision to layoff the workers, a decision that was discussed with the Montgomery County Commission on Monday.

“I have an obligation to the citizens of Montgomery County to make every effort to operate within my budget,” said Dierks.

The sheriff said no officers were included in the layoff and that he did not anticipate further layoffs in the future. However, he said he would continue to diligently monitor the departments’ budgets closely.

BY ANDY TAYLOR

INDEPENDENCE — Sheriff Robert Dierks wants to sharpen his incisors and put a bigger bite on former jail inmates who owe money for a variety of services incurred during their incarceration.

At Monday’s meeting of the Montgomery County Commission, Dierks and Jimmy Holt, Department of Corrections coordinator, revealed the total costs of jail inmate services that have yet to be reimbursed. Most of those costs involve medical care, including hospitalization, that was provided to the inmates during their stint in the county jail.
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