Long County Sheriff Craig Nobles is pushing back on claims that he urged county leaders to furlough or fire workers as the county’s finances wobble. With a $50,000 bill for inmate housing hanging over the commission and officials warning of a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, Nobles says his office has already cut staff and expenses just to keep basic operations afloat.
Commission Meeting and the $50,000 Demand
At a packed special commission meeting last Thursday, County Manager Shane Richardson warned that the general fund could not cover a $50,000 invoice from Tattnall County for housing Long County inmates. Commissioners briefly floated the idea of furloughing 28 county employees for two weeks to pay the bill. As reported by WTOC, the board ultimately voted unanimously not to pay the invoice and not to furlough staff at that time. Richardson also imposed a 30-day budget freeze while officials scramble to find enough cash to meet payroll and other fast-approaching obligations.
Stalled Jail and Mounting Deficit
Long County has hit pause on opening a nearly $17 million jail and is instead paying neighboring counties to house its inmates, a setup local outlets say is feeding the financial pressure. WJCL reported the project’s price tag and that leaders have pegged the county’s deficit in the multimillions, while local coverage has highlighted unpaid invoices owed to partner jails. County reporting also shows the commission’s books listing roughly $280,000 in the bank with major notes and bond payments still due, leaving little room to maneuver on payroll or debt service.
Sheriff Says Reports Contained Inaccuracies
In a statement to The Georgia Sun, Nobles said “reports from the April 16 commission meeting contained inaccuracies about his office’s budget requests and spending.” He denied telling commissioners to borrow $300,000 for equipment or to order furloughs, and said many of the items his office sought were already in the current budget. Nobles also told reporters the sheriff’s office has cut its workforce by more than 20% in the last two years and spent less than half of its approved budget last fiscal year, with deputies now rotating between patrol and investigative duties to plug staffing holes.
Political Fallout and the GBI Probe
The money troubles are unfolding in the shadow of a Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged misappropriation of county funds that led to the arrest of Commissioner Robert Parker in early 2025, an episode local outlets say rattled public trust. WJCL and other regional reporting have documented the arrests and subsequent political turmoil, and commissioners have at times discussed asking the governor to remove an indicted commissioner from office, according to WTOC. County leaders say shoring up both governance and finances will be necessary before operations can return to anything resembling normal.
What Residents Should Watch
Officials plan to revisit unpaid inmate housing invoices and other outstanding debts after the budget freeze ends, and the board has scheduled a public town hall on April 23 to update residents. Meeting notices, agendas and official updates are posted on the Long County Board of Commissioners’ website, where any schedule changes are also published. For now, residents looking for specifics on payroll, bond payments or vendor checks are being directed to those official postings while the commission works through its review.
