CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen is responding to a recent social media post after the former sheriff, Victor Hill, said he would no longer endorse him over a "disappointing job performance and poor results."
The news comes after Hill, the embattled ex-sheriff, was recently moved from prison to community confinement following a conviction over of violating inmates' civil rights. Hill took his latest message to Facebook on Monday, where he made several claims against Allen.
In his post, Hill claimed that the sheriff's office was $14 million over budget. However, the sheriff’s office had not exceeded its budget when it came up during a Clayton County Commissioner's meeting last month. The sheriff's office was projected to exceed $14.8 million, and during the March 12 meeting, officials noted that the sheriff's office had $4.86 million remaining. Officials also mentioned the sheriff's office was expected to exceed the budget within one month.
The Clayton County Board of Commissioners has to approve the sheriff's budget beforehand. The code does not permit department heads or elected officials to exceed their budget without prior approval.
11Alive reached out to officials to see where the sheriff's office currently stands on the budget; we are waiting to hear back.
During the meeting, a representative for the sheriff's office said the need for more correctional officers is causing some of the projected overspending. The sheriff's office has to pay the current officers overtime because of that.
"Although we are fully staffed by the numbers, we are not properly staffed," said Major Martin.
Overtime was budgeted for $4.5 million, and by March 12, the sheriff's office had spent $4.7 million; officials said they were projected to spend $6.7 million.
Before Hill's prison sentence, he showed support for Allen throughout his law enforcement career. Allen's bio on his campaign website even lists him as Hill's protege.
Allen responded to Hill's social media post in a message to Clayton County residents Monday evening, saying he "will not succumb to his (Hill's) tirades" or become a "political puppet under his control."
"It pains me deeply that former Sheriff Victor Hill has chosen to publicly discredit me in an attempt to assert his influence and control," the message reads. "I once looked up to him as a mentor, learning valuable lessons under his guidance. However, I will not compromise my values and principles for the sake of appeasing his untethered ego, arrogance, or agenda."
He urged the community to move forward, saying he harbors no ill will towards Hill.
Allen also touched on some of the county's recent challenges.
"Across this nation, many corporations and organizations are creatively addressing staffing shortages. Much like the cost of living, the cost of operating an agency has increased," he said. "As with many detention facilities, inmate populations have increased. Clayton County is no different. Its inmate population has increased well beyond its established capacity."
Read more of the sheriff's letter here.