Sayre, OK – Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning says he and his team are working hard to finalize the office's budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

“I’ve been working very hard with my administrative assistant, Sonya Blagg,” Manning said. “She’s been working very hard. I appreciate all of her input. And we’ve been working to put the budget together for this year.”

Like all county offices, the sheriff’s department is required to submit its proposed budget to the county excise board, which ultimately approves spending for the year. Manning confirmed the proposal includes a request for raises for deputies, aiming to stay competitive with law enforcement salaries in the area.

“We’ll be meeting with [the board] this afternoon,” he added. “We’re going to be working to try to get that worked out and passed. It’s just part of the process we go through every year to keep county offices running efficiently and on budget—spending enough to get the job done but not overspending.