After enduring a lengthy board debate Tuesday night that threatened to undo a month of work on his plan to salvage the county’s finances, County Chairman Danny Yearwood then faced a brutal public flogging by Sheriff Jud Smith.
Smith’s ire was sparked some remarks that Yearwood made Tuesday morning during a radio appearance.
“He told the listening audience that he needs the Sheriff’s Office to lay off 40 employees and he added that if I do not comply with his request, he will have no choice but to raise our property taxes,” Smith said.
"I resent his remarks and the implication that the only way to ensure the financial survival of this county government is to further burden the taxpayers,” he added. “And I especially resent his implication that if I fail to ‘play ball’ with him that your taxes will be all my fault.”
But Yearwood defended his call for the sheriff's department to share in the county cuts.
“Your salaries are 89 percent of the sheriff’s budget,” Yearwood said. “Your salaries in detention are 78 percent.”
Yearwood said with the cuts, the county government’s salary expenditures had been reduced from 71 percent of the budget to about 50 percent.
The chairman told the sheriff he was glad he spoke.
“Hey, I think you are doing a great job,” Yearwood said. “I’ve told you that. But nobody anticipated a $7 million downturn in our revenue. Whether you want to deal with it or not, it’s real.”
For the complete story, see the June 10 issue of the Barrow Journal.
The problem began with past chairmen, commissioners and employees taking EVERYTHING THEY COULD FOR THEMSELVES.
Danny is being blamed for years of "mis-management". In fact, some of the former "gold diggers" should be the ones "under the gun".
The county still has some Directors that need to go, and the HR should be the first one out the door, along with her family and friends.
That's easily in the top 10 though.
Something to keep in mind whoever complained about 5 deputies per shift, you have to remember off days, paid leave, jail deputies. Another thing to consider there are standards in place about number of deputies in service on the road and in the jail for our population and occupancy, or fire trucks / EMTs on duty that protect the tax payers in a society that will slap a law suit for anything. We as tax payers pay that. I am sure quite a bit of their budget is training just to avoid this very thing. I know our 20 hours of yearly traning is 80% dedicated to just that.
As mentioned earlier go to Sheriff Smiths's office and discuss it with him. If not happy go to a commisioner meeting and be heard, and look into a Do not Respond list. Meanwhile if your in my territory I will do my best to ensure your safety regardless of your opinion and hate for public safety.
Jud Smith is a great guy with a ton of confidence; he is not to be blamed for the officers that were hired while Joe & Murray were with the sheriff's office.
One day you will need an officer to help you track down that thief that has stolen you car; one day you will need that E.M.T./Paramedic to save your life from a heart attack or snake bite; one day you will need a fire put out or your child cut out of a mangled car that has been wrapped around a telephone pole.
I hope that you take heed to the respect that all the public safety worker's of this county deserve; not to mention they actually should be paid double for their service's.
They go out and put their live's on the line for us Barrow County citizen's; they are the hero's of this county and they should be treated that way.
Thanks to all the public safety worker's for a wonderful Job well done within our county and community.
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