Isn’t it interesting that after the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office pushed so hard to get a levy passed for more money, with all the hand-wringing and guilt trips about people losing jobs and criminals being let out of jail, now all of a sudden they have extra cash?
Aware of the likely criticism, Stiles insisted the rosier situation wasn’t clear before May’s vote to approve a 3-year levy, and that the funds come from non-levy sources.
Stiles and Jim Ross, the department’s business manager, explained that the agency’s 2003-04 ending fund balance, which they had conservatively estimated at $200,000, has turned out to be $874,000 instead.
And not small change, either. No, to the tune of two-thirds of a million dollars. And it might even be more:
And some said Stiles still may be under-shooting the amount of revenues he’ll have for the new budget year. “It’s going to get to $1.2 million,” said Commissioner Tom DeWolf; Maier said at least $1 million beginning balance is likely.
The best part? They insist it’s not levy money, and there will still be jail releases. Hello? Shouldn’t keeping criminals in jail be a priority here? Or is it just me?
Okay, what’s the answer then? Put that money into … what? The jail’s full. Open the work release center? It doesn’t cover the cost. Lay off more deputies to cover the cost? Man, the guy just canNOT win for losin… IMHO.
Put the money into building a bigger jail? Expanding the current one? Throw up some tents and barbed wire out in the desert? I don’t know.
I certainly can’t claim to having all the answers, definitely not… but what struck me about the story is the *large* amount of money they misestimated, which (to me) makes the whole situation rather, well, absurd. Talking about one or two hundred thousand dollars is one thing, but potentially *one million* dollars? That’s reality show money 🙂
But as a percentage of an $18 million budget, it’s, well, possibly 1/18th. Are you ever off on your paycheck by 1/18th? On your investments? Just trying to inject a little context here;-)