Sheriff Department Funding: “Wants, Not Needs”?
Different budget priorities between the JPs resulted in more drama at December’s Quorum Court meeting. A telling exchange between Republican JP Steve Goode (District 3) and Budget Chair Democrat JP John Pickett (District 11) came during discussion about the new Public Defender Investigator position.
As long-time Quorum Court observers, we know that some JPs do not seem to acknowledge the ongoing problem of inadequate funding for the Sheriff’s Department — a stressful public safety situation that has gone on for years. Others on the Court consistently support the Sheriff’s Department — as we do — because public safety and roads are primary functions of county government and therefore should be appropriately funded before other activities.
A consistent defender of the Sheriff’s Department, Goode had asked the Court to reconsider the new Public Defender position. He pointed out that four sheriffs “over the past 10 years” have “come before this Court time after time after time after time with urgent needs” that remain unfunded.
Pickett gets quite a reaction from the audience when he insists that “what the Sheriff has given us are wants, not needs,” then adds “there’s no overwhelming crime problem (in Faulkner County), according to FBI statistics.”
(Edited from full video on Faulkner County Arkansas Facebook page.)
Goode: … “We’re fixing to give somebody… we’re fixing to create a new position while we continually kick them (Sheriff’s Department) in the teeth over and over and over?
Pickett: “That’s not quite right! There’s no money to fund the request from the Sheriff’s office….
Goode: We’re fixing to give … $60,000 of General Fund money. Why can’t that go to the Sheriff’s office?
Pickett: Well, I understand you want to save all the County General money and give to the Sheriff…
Goode: I’d like to give a lot of it to them, you dadgum right.
Pickett: The way that you’re putting the argument is that you want to save about a half million dollars in County General. Then, come January and February you’re going to balloon up the Sheriff’s office personnel.
Well, I can assure you, at this time next year there’s going to be a big whack in the number of Sheriff’s office employees. We simply cannot fund it!
Goode: But we can fund a 4% across-the-board raise?
Pickett: You bet!
Goode: What’s the difference?
Pickett: It’s 4% for across-the-board raises for all our employees that have not had significant raises in a long time.
Goode: There are some departments that have had raises.
Pickett: Agreed.
Goode: But, again — if we’re spending a half-million on raises or we’re spending a half-million to fund desperate needs in the Sheriff’s Department — it’s a half-million either way, isn’t it?
Pickett: Justice Goode, what the Sheriff has given us are wants, not needs.
Goode: I see Criminal Justice as a function and the role of county government.
Pickett: There’s no overwhelming crime problem, according to FBI statistics…