FONDA - Montgomery County Sheriff Michael Amato requested more funds from the Board of Supervisors last week as he said he expects the overtime account to run out before the end of the year.
Amato told the board that the sheriff's office only has $12,115 of the $57,000 remaining, and road crews directing traffic on Bridge Street have asked for patrol cars in the area.
The sheriff said he has received several complaints of drivers ignoring stop signs and direction from construction workers.
"If there's a sign that says don't go one way, they go that way," Amato said. "We have people shifting into other lanes and bypassing traffic to make turns. They're trying to bypass the construction in the Upper Prospect Street area and are blowing through stop signs."
He told the board he looked into taking money out of the part-time fund, but that wouldn't be possible as the department has one employee who will be starting patrol school at the beginning of July, and that is going to cost the department $19,000 of its $39,000 remaining in the part-time fund.
Amato also said the Fonda Fair is coming, and that requires 12-hour days for directing traffic and pedestrian crossing.
"That's a strain besides having our regular patrols out," Amato said. "We also have the holidays and the winter coming up. We don't know how bad the winter is going to be, and we might need extra help in the winter."
The board said it would discuss his request.