Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
April 11, 2008 11:55 am
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CUMBERLAND - Allegany County Sheriff David Goad has answered the county commissioners call to act on his office's overtime budget woes by eliminating the midnight to 8 a.m. shift beginning Sunday.
"I don't want to give up services," Goad said. "Unfortunately, I don't know how else to do this. I'm hoping it's only temporary. After the budget is (approved in May), I hope we can go back to full service. We're not going to have the midnight to 8 a.m. shift. I don't know what that's going to mean."
Goad's budget came under fire for the third straight week Thursday at the county commissioners' budget workshop. Talk centered around the budget for fiscal 2009, which begins July 1, as well as this year's budget. The commissioners directed Acting County Administrator David Eberly to request Goad attend today's 1 p.m. budget workshop, the last such meeting before Jerry Frantz, finance director, unveils the budget to the public at Thursday's regular meeting.
Goad said late Thursday he couldn't attend Friday's meeting, but would be willing to meet with the commissioners in public early next week.
The commissioners said they continue to seek ways to fully fund Goad's overtime request for fiscal 2009 of $125,000. But they need guidance on where to cut from other items in his budget. Frantz had already recommended $75,000 in the initial budget draft two weeks ago. He said he had found another $39,400 of the remaining $50,000 by cutting parts of travel, training and equipment.
Goad has previously stated his unwillingness to discuss this year's budget in a public session. Eberly had asked Goad to contact Frantz or senior accountant Pamela Smith. Frantz reported Thursday that Goad had not made contact with either of them.
The sheriff's office is projected to be about $258,000 over the authorized amount of this year's budget. The commissioners have ordered Goad to halt any overtime between now and June 30 except for emergencies, although it's Goad who determines what constitutes an emergency.
Goad said in an interview last week with the Times-News that it is next to impossible to decrease the overtime costs. He said even Smith, assigned in April 2007 as a financial adviser to the sheriff's office, wasn't able to get control over the overtime issue.
Frantz, though, contradicted Goad's account. He said Smith's role was that of an adviser. In a memo signed by County Administrator Vance Ishler last year, Smith was designated not to "direct or dictate how the sheriff spends his money" or "deny the sheriff of spending money within his approved budget." Ishler noted then that Goad was "ultimately responsible for his total budget."
Frantz said Thursday he wouldn't mind if Smith did have control over Goad's budget.
"I don't think that's what (Goad) has in mind," Commissioner Bob Hutcheson said.
The budget issue and tension between the commissioners, Frantz and Goad escalated another notch when the commissioners denied two travel requests for Goad and two deputies. Goad had submitted one request to attend the National Sheriffs Association conference in Indianapolis in June, when he is expected to formally take over as NSA president and another for two deputies to attend training in Harford County at a cost of $1,440. Goad said late Thursday the officers will remain in the training session at no cost to the county.
The sheriff's office's patrol car take-home policy also came under scrutiny. Frantz said that deputies live outside of Allegany County, including four in West Virginia and two others in Garrett County - one in Accident and another in Mountain Lake Park.
"Do all the vehicles have to go home every night?" Frantz said. He said the costs of the fuel, plus wear and tear on the vehicles could equal "thousands and thousands of dollars."
The commissioners noted, however, it is Goad's prerogative to establish the take-home policy for his deputies.
Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.
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