Four years of efforts by Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King to garner support for a law enforcement sales tax have borne little fruit, at least among those running for office this year who will have the ability to decide whether county voters should be asked to consider passing the tax.
The sheriff’s department faces major cost overruns and in recent years has exceeded its budget most of the time, whether under King or former Sheriff J.T. Roberts, who is asking voters this year on Nov. 4 to return him to the office that he held for three terms before being voted out in 2004.
Part of the problem is beyond the control of the sheriff or the county. Jail bills are rapidly escalating and the sheriff has no choice but to feed, house, and provide medical care for inmates. However, this year Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall has said he sees no alternative but borrowing money to pay county bills this year due to a massive six-digit budget deficit.
King said he sees no choice but to pass a half-cent county-wide sales tax, not smaller tax rates of a quarter-cent or eighth-cent which have also been considered, and dedicate the full amount to fund the sheriff’s department.
Speaking at a Sept. 29 candidate forum sponsored by the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce, King defended his record, including his efforts to write a weekly column for area newspapers explaining what his department does.
“During the past four years we’ve run a pretty good operation and done a number of things,” King said. “It will not matter who wins this election; the next sheriff will face four very tough years in office.”
Those years will force the sheriff to make do with little money, a short-staffed department, and lack of equipment, King said, and providing basic services expected by citizens may be a struggle. According to King, the office of sheriff has “been neglected for years” despite dramatic growth in population.
Roberts wasn’t so sure.
“I know that funds are tight, but I feel I can operate the sheriff’s department with the budget that’s currently being issued to the present sheriff without a reduction in services,” Roberts said. “Everybody can use more tax money, but I don’t see a need for an increase in taxes at this time.”
Roberts said it’s possible to cut costs without cutting services by steps such as stopping deputies from using take-home cars when they live far outside the area.
“That alone would reduce quite a bit of spending with the current price of gasoline,” Roberts said.
King said those deputies have already left the department but said having deputies living throughout the county and able to respond from their homes to emergencies is important.
“You must be able to respond to crimes; you must be able to call your people out on short notice,” King said.
Rick Zweerink of Crocker, the Republican candidate for western district county commissioner, didn’t attend the forum. However, all other county commission candidates said they oppose a law enforcement sales tax.
Earl Arnold of Waynesville, the Democratic candidate for eastern district commissioner, said a law enforcement sales tax would be a mistake under current economic conditions.
“I just do not feel it would be a good time to throw an increased burden on people, not to say that it wouldn’t be something we would have to address in the future,” Arnold said.
Wayne Anderson of Richland, the Democratic candidate for western district commissioner, agreed.
“Times are tough, and they’re going to get worse before they get better, I’m afraid,” Anderson said. “I’m sure that the law enforcement needs the money; we all need it. But at this time I would not think it would be the wise thing to do.”
The current Republican eastern district commissioner, Bill Farnham of Waynesville, was the only candidate to express any support for a tax.
“I initially had supported one, seeing the lack of funding that’s coming into the county, but with the economy being the way it is, I don’t think the timing is right,” Farnham said.
Any tax needs to be larger than an eighth-cent tax, Farnham said, which he called a “band-aid” since it would only generate $500,000 per year, and has to have full support of county officials.
“Maybe in the future,” Farnham said.
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