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Show Davis commissioners OK $32.3 million Deputies oppose budget cut with 34 more scheduled to be hired in March. Other line item entities falling under control of the sheriff, which included paramedics, 911 emergency emergen-cy and ambulance services, took increases in-creases in their budgets as well, which gave the total budget for law enforcement and emergency ser- r .i.M vices in the county an increase of more than $850,000. "The cut in (sheriff department) personnel is somewhat proportional to cuts in other departments Gayle Stevenson, commission chairman, said. Commissioners said the personnel per-sonnel cut should not interfere with patrol personnel. But deputies say time spent patrolling and conducting conduc-ting investigations will be cut when officers are forced to pick up the extra workload created from the personnel reduction. During a public hearing Tuesday, SEE BUDGET PG. A-2 By SCOTT SUMMER1LL FARMINGTON A $32.3 million budget for Davis County was adopted Wednesday without any major changes despite heavy opposition from law enforcement employees. f The 1991 budget mandates 15 staff reductions in the sheriff's office. of-fice. "Government needs to cut back to the bare essentials," Commissioner Commis-sioner Robert Rose said, noting the new budget does not require a tax increase. "Sometimes you just have to step back and reevaluate where you are.' With exception of the sheriff's department, most agencies in the county received about the same funding as last year. The sheriffs budget took a $589,000 cut, which will translate to the loss of 15 employees about 20 percent of the department's staff. However, officials were quick to point out that 44 employees have been added to staff the new county jail in Farmington, and there is a $1.1 million increase in funding to the new facility. Ten new corrections correc-tions officers are already on staff, Budget CONTINUED FROM PG. A-l about 40 sheriff's department employees and several county residents blasted the commission for forcing a manpower reduction that could reduce the police protection protec-tion on cities contracting with the county for law enforcement. Kevin McCloud, president of the county's Employee's Association, commended the commission on holding taxes down, but insisted cuts should not take precedence over vital services. "If things are going bad with the funding of (the new jail), it's just bad planning," he told the commission. commis-sion. Other comments suggested the expenditure of more than $1 million for improvements of the county fairgrounds during the past year would have been better spent if applied ap-plied to the sheriffs budget. "I don't know how (the sheriff's department) is going to do their job without those 15 people," said a Fruit Heights resident. "I could really do without (the improvements im-provements at the fairgrounds)." There were also concerns about the quality of law enforcement with the reduction in force. Steve Van Dyke, 2nd District Juvenile Court judge, said "I don't know how you can cut personnel and not deteriorate the quality of service. When you cut staff, you create a street crisis that will cost more and be more difficult to handle down the road." Van Dyke said the growing population in the county means a growing crime problem, and he pointed out that there has been an 1 8 percent in juvenile crime in the past year. Many of these crimes have been associated with known gang members. "If (street gangs) come to believe that Utah is vulnerable, they'll target it," he said. However, the commission stood fast on its position at Wednesday's . meeting and voted unanimously to adopt the budget as written. All three commissioners agreed the overall consensus of the public is for no increase in taxes, even if it means a reduction in services. "This is the first time the sheriff and attorney's offices have been cut,' Commissioner William Lawrence said. "I'm extremely proud of the position taken by the commission in getting a balanced budget. I commend the chairman. ' ' |