Harrison County (West Virginia) Commission approves budget that cuts law enforcement equipment funding, raises levy rate - WV News
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — The Harrison County Commission on Friday voted 2-1 to approve a nearly $24 million Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget that will increase the property tax levy rate. The budget also will bring significant cuts to law enforcement capital outlay that the sheriff said would affect public safety if allowed to stand.
The spending plan was approved during an approximately one-hour special meeting that marked the commission's first discussion of the full budget. Commissioner David Hinkle cast the opposing vote. The budget is due at the state Auditor's Office on Monday.
The budget, which increases the levy rate to 13.1 cents per $100 assessed value on Class I property, includes cuts to Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Division capital outlay line items that are used to fund vehicles, Tasers, body cameras and other equipment, The cuts reduce those line items from $300,000 in the current fiscal year to just $7,000 in Fiscal Year 2022-23.
The commission included a new $250,000 capital outlay line item in its own budget to fund cruisers for the Law Enforcement Division.
Sheriff Robert Matheny called the cuts a "travesty" and "a slap in the face of law enforcement." The budget passed by the commission will force the Sheriff's Office to do away with body cameras, which cost the office $68,000 per year, he said.
"That's something we'll have to notify the insurance company and what not. It's just going to be a travesty. I'm sure the prosecutor — I don't want to speak for her — but that will cause problems in her office," Matheny said.
The funding for cruisers will allow for leasing of 12 vehicles, which Matheny described as "half of what we need."
Matheny had requested an additional $300,000 on top of the usual $300,000 for capital outlay to allow him to implement a rotation of law enforcement vehicles.
“I asked for an additional $300,000 to do a three-year lease on 24 cruisers. What the equates to is eight (cruisers) a year. That's about what we have to replace, and we've found it's better to buy them in bulk and lease them over three years so your budget's the same over three years. It never changes," Matheny said.
Moving the funds out of the Sheriff's Office budget and into the county commission budget could also take purchasing discretion away from the sheriff and place it with the county commission, instead.
Commission President Susan Thomas said the commission "just found out about the body cams."
County Administrator Laura Pysz said the last payment for the body cameras will be made during the current fiscal year and that the Sheriff's Office is "in negotiations for the next fiscal year." Pysz said once the payment amount is determined, "we are prepared to ... address it and take care of that issue."
As the approved budget stands, however, Matheny said there will be no body cameras.
Matheny placed blame for the capital outlay cuts, along with other cuts in the Sheriff's Office budget, on Commissioner Patsy Trecost, whom he said has a "'Defund the Police' narrative" brought on by Trecost's opposition to the new law enforcement headquarters on West Main Street.
Trecost did not respond directly to that accusation, but said Matheny has told the commissioners that they have no authority over the Sheriff's Office. "And we respect that," Trecost added, before telling Matheny he should not speak during the meeting.
Commissioner David Hinkle called for the commission to zero out a $150,000 rail-trail line item and a $150,000 nuisance ordinance projects line item in order to provide the requested funding to the Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Division, but he failed to convince his colleagues to sign onto the plan.
"We were already budgeted $700,000 out of (the Vital Services) Levy for these issues, and you have taken money previously out of other funds for rail trail. This $150,000 for tearing down homes and $150,000 needed for rail trails is no longer needed out of the General Fund. It needs to be moved over and allow the sheriff to continue to supply Harrison County with the proper law enforcement protection that we've come to enjoy under his leadership," Hinkle said.
Thomas said the approved budget is "what we're going to do now," but said she would like to revisit the discussion next year.
"I'm not by any means opposed to law enforcement, so I'm just going to put that out there," Thomas said following the vote.
"Actions speak louder than words," Matheny responded.
Despite approval of the budget, a second special commission meeting on the budget scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday will stand in case "something comes up that we need to address," according to Pysz.
There is no public comment period on the agenda for Monday's meeting, but Thomas said members of the public can feel free to call or email their commissioners.
Members of the public who cannot attend commission meetings in person may do so by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7628160712, or teleconference at 1-888-788-0099, with meeting ID 762 816 0712 and passcode 270967.
source: https://www.wvnews.com/theet/news/harrison-county-west-virginia-commission-approves-budget-that-cuts-law-enforcement-equipment-funding-raises-levy/article_e70eee30-ac50-11ec-ae6a-735ae0eac01b.html
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