Oh, what a difference a judge’s order can make.

Just hours after Judge William Ison ruled in the Sheriff’s favor, the County Commission started budget hearings Wednesday morning.

As the County Commission read the day’s paper and grumbled about headlines, Chairman Greg Dunn emphasized that Judge Ison also ruled the county did have the right to get rid of any property. In his order, Ison ruled the Sheriff’s Department does not have to go through the county for purchasing items or use the county’s shop for vehicle maintenance.

Traditionally, during the budget hearings, a representative from each of the five divisions of the Sheriff’s Department appears before the county Commission and requests that the division’s budget be approved.

But this year, only Wayne Hannah from the traffic division and Linda Jones from administration entered the conference room at Stonewall Avenue.

The County Commission has also decided to evaluate the Sheriff’s budget this year.

“Based on the judge’s ruling, it really doesn’t matter what we do,” said Commissioner Linda Wells.

On Monday morning, at 8:30 a.m., the commissioners will consider the sheriff’s department budget as a whole.

“We can just set amounts for items such as communications equipment and after it goes to him (Sheriff Randall Johnson) we have no control as to how it’s moved around,” Wells added.