All these funds made possible by the big bad federal government.
He brags about fiscal responsibility on the political stump and on the airwaves, and now appeals to the Board of Supervisors to get him out of a budget-busting mess he created in mismanaging his personnel salaries. I guess the Board is expected to help the Sheriff play Santa Claus to his 28 Deputies. But then when the Board correctly rejects his misplaced request, he can make the Board take the rap as the Grinch who stole Christmas pay raises.
These are not exaggerated or isolated instances of fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement. Think St. Louis junketing, think losing weapons from his evidence room, think assigning take-home vehicles to personnel driving expensive county vehicles while breaking speed limits dashing to and from personal errands, think purchasing a costly second-hand helicopter that’ll cost County taxpayers who knows how much more to upgrade and operate.
And, pity the taxpayer, in a few days we’ll hear the self-aggrandizing Sheriff announcing that he wants to take this deplorable record of budget-busting, wasteful spending of taxpayers’ monies to a congressional office where he might get his hands on real money.
Hopefully, County Administration staff is addressing these Sheriff-created problems and will have the support of both the Board and the public, as the Supervisors try to correct Paul Babeu’s mismanagement and budget-busting practices.
It’s time for the Board to say no to the budget-busting Sheriff.
I urge you to vote no on agenda item (8) which is clearly one more Sheriff’s raid on the County taxpayers. Reject Sheriff Babeu’s irresponsible request for pay increases for loyal Deputies who are simply victims of the Sheriff’s mismanagement and opportunism.
Statement at Pinal County Board of Supervisors, December 21, 2011
