Long County Sheriff Craig Nobles said he never asked for county employees to be furloughed or fired, responding to claims made during a county commission meeting last week.
What’s Happening: Nobles issued a statement saying reports from the April 16 commission meeting contained inaccuracies about his office’s budget requests and spending. The county is dealing with debt between $1.8 million and $2 million while trying to make payroll.
What Nobles Said: The sheriff said his office has cut staff by more than 20% over two years and spent less than half its approved budget last fiscal year. He said he provided a list of needed equipment to the county attorney — including ammunition, body cameras, and bulletproof vests — but did not ask commissioners to borrow $300,000 to pay for them. All items were already approved in the current budget, he said.
The Jail Debt: Long County owes five other counties a combined $135,000 for housing inmates since the county closed its own jail in late 2025. The debts include:
- Appling County: 4 months unpaid
- Tattnall County: 7 months unpaid
- McIntosh County: 6 months unpaid
- Wayne County: 4 months unpaid
- Screven County: 1 month unpaid
Nobles claims he has paid for inmate medicine out of his own pocket.
Why This Matters: The financial crisis follows a Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe into stolen government funds that led to the arrest of Commissioner Robert Parker in early 2025. County leaders have been making cuts to reduce debt while commissioners petition Governor Brian Kemp to remove Parker from office.
What Changed: The sheriff’s office is operating on a budget roughly 12% smaller than last fiscal year. Nobles said deputies now fill multiple roles, from road patrol to felony investigations, depending on daily needs.
The Path Forward: Long County continues working to stabilize its finances while managing distrust among residents following the corruption investigation. The sheriff said his office will keep helping return the county to financial stability while doing its job with reduced resources.
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B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
