Benton County Cutting 3 Deputies

FOLEY - Three Benton County deputies will lose their jobs.

The Board of Commissioners voted today (Tuesday) to eliminate their positions in an effort to trim $260,000 from the Sheriff's Department budget.  Some of the savings will also come from the operating expenses related to those positions.

The Sheriff's Department lost $281,000 in revenue earlier this month when the city of Foley dropped their policing contract with the county and instead hired a private security firm.  County Administrator Monty Headley says the county's general fund will absorb the remaining $21,000 in lost revenue.

The county added three deputies when they first began policing the Foley streets in 2003.

Benton County currently has 18 deputies, that will be trimmed to 15 when the layoffs take effect on January 4th.