Commissioners fund detention officers; approve new fire districts

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Appearing before the board for the second time in as many months, Sheriff Jimmy Ashe requested the funds to hire four detention officers, an administrative assistant, a patrol deputy and an additional detective. While Ashe indicated last month the cost to hire the additional staff would be about $37,000 without fringe benefits, new figures presented to the board put the annual cost with benefits at nearly $250,000.

Addressing the sheriff, board Chairman Stacy Buchanan said he was prepared to approve the funds needed to hire the four detention officers so they would be trained in time for the opening of the new detention center. Once the 75-bed jail is in operation, funds the county currently spends to house prisoners in out-of-county facilities, which have reached about $60,000 this year, should decrease, he said.

Cost estimates to hire the four additional jailers prepared by county finance officer Darlene Fox put the figure at $52,000 for the remainder of the year and $136,000 annually.

"I desperately need these positions, but I'm willing to work with the board and would like to re-explore that with you," Ashe said. "Please keep in mind that this is a 'needs' assessment, not a 'wants' assessment."

"You have to understand you are coming to us in the middle of the year," Buchanan said. "You're asking us to fund new officers without knowing if we can afford them next year."

Continuing a theme he started last month, Ashe unsuccessfully pushed the board to spend almost $40,000 additionally to fund an administrative assistant position to address numerous clerical and accounting problems he said had been left behind by the previous administration.

"I don't want to fall short with my recordkeeping," said the sheriff, who declined to cite specific incidences of wrongdoing on the part of former Sheriff Jim Cruzan and his staff. "I'm not going to let it get in the same shape I found it."

An audit prepared last week by a retired FBI fraud investigator with Crisp Hughes Evans CPA firm indicated records reviewed in four areas of the Sheriff's Office - domestic violence, U.S. Forest Service payments, informant and controlled substance funds, and concealed gun permits - between July and December of last year were found to be in order.

When questioned about the results of the audit, Ashe said, "It's incomplete. (The auditors) never looked at records (housed) at the Sheriff's Office. I have records they did not inquire about. As part of an audit procedure, I feel they should look at everything."

A meeting with the auditors, the sheriff and the county finance officer has been scheduled for today (Thursday) to review the document, said Manager Ken Westmoreland, who was also scheduled to attend.

After approving the four detention officers, commissioners acted favorably on a recommendation from the county manager to hire a full-time nurse for the jail. The nurse has previously worked on a contract basis for the jail doctor.

Also on the subject of emergency management, board members acted during their meeting Tuesday (Feb. 18) to approve new district boundaries for each of the county's seven volunteer fire departments. According to emergency management coordinator Mike Ensley, each department was inspected by the N.C. Department of Insurance and approved for an additional mile of coverage, taking their jurisdictions from 5 to 6 miles.

A new county fire map was approved, along with written descriptions of the additional areas to be covered. These documents will be forwarded to officials in Raleigh for final approval, at which time property owners in the extended areas should be eligible for an average decrease of about 20 percent on their insurance premiums, Ensley said.

Also on the subject of fire coverage, commissioners heard a report from the committee accessing the need for a Caney Fork substation of the Cullowhee Fire Department. With some 461 addresses in the proposed area, the presence of a substation could result in a combined $50,000 savings in insurance premiums, according to Caney Fork's past CDC President Ron Stephens.

The committee also recommended the new facility be located on the CDC property and possibly take in the activities of the development club. A community with a combination CDC/fire department is often more favorably looked upon when grant funds become available, Stephens said.

While no cost estimate was discussed, Ensley projected board members could include funds for the substation in their plans for next year's expenditures.

Back to Archive: 02/20/03.