The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to release $97,000 in funding for the county Board of Ethics, which is handling a heavy caseload of complaints against elected officials.

The money will supplement the Board of Ethics’ $118,000 annual budget, and the funds will be used for investigations, legal counsel and administrative support.

The additional funding had been appropriated in the county's mid-year budget, but the Commission withheld the money until the Board of Ethics made a proposal for how it would be spent.

The Commission voted 4-0 to release the money, and Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton didn’t cast a vote because she wanted further review of the proposal in committee.

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