LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A more than $26 million budget just took effect in Limestone County for Fiscal Year 2026, and the sheriff's department said the money is already being put to use.

Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin told News 19's Peyton Newman about a severe staffing shortage in July after he presented the data to the County Commission, asking for more funding.

"The lack of growth in the sheriff's office to obviously adjust to the number of citizens, calls, different responsibilities of the sheriff's office that continue to grow," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the department should have 1.8 deputies per 100,000 residents in the county. This summer, that number added up to 234 deputies. Limestone County had only 59 sworn officers at the time, amounting to less than 25% of the st

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