Outgoing Forsyth County Sheriff Requests Budget Cut for Next Year
--By Staff Writer on --
Outgoing Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton has asked the Board of Commissioners to reduce the sheriff’s budget by $5 million next year — after he leaves office.
Was it bitterness over losing a heated — and often downright nasty — primary election to a former employee? Or was it just good stewardship that motivated the request?
“Well, it wasn’t love,” said District 4 Commissioner Patrick Bell.
“When I first heard about it, I just kinda shook my head and said, that’s just Ted.”
Dist. 3 Commissioner Todd Levent called it “sour grapes” and said the outgoing sheriff was “bitter.”
The man who defeated Paxton, former sheriff’s Lt. Duane Piper, said, “I don’t know what to think.”It’s odd. The whole thing is odd. I’d be interested to know if he’s ever asked for a reduction before. I don’t ever remember it when I worked for him.”
In a Sept. 7 email to the county’s Chief Financial Officer David Gruen, Paxton wrote:
“After considering the recent election results, it is my recommendation and desire that the 2013 budget for the Sheriff’s Office be reduced by $5,014,000.00.”
He went on to say, “The voters of the county have voted for a candidate who campaigned on the promise of cutting the Sheriff’s Office budget by $5,000,000.00. I have heard the voters. I obviously am not privy to his plan, however he must have a plan since he has quoted an exact dollar amount on several different occasions.”
Bell added, “He did make some specific campaign promises. I hope he can keep those promises to the citizens.”
Paxton went so far as to recommend specific cuts including $2.6 million for housing prisoners outside the county, $1.278 million for new staff positions that had been included in the 2013 proposed budget and $300,000 for gasoline for patrol cars.
Of course, Piper hasn’t been elected just yet. He still has one last hurdle to clear in the general election next month. Lt. Col. DT Smith has entered the campaign as a write-in candidate.
Because Paxton is a constitutional officer with his own budget, commissioners are required to honor his request. However, at Thursday’s county commission meeting, commissioners approved Bell’s motion to put the $5 million in a special fund that the new sheriff can request all or part of but only with the approval of the Board of Commissioners.
Bill Evelyn
October 7, 2012 at 8:30 am
This was very immature of Ted. Ted did this out of vindictiveness. First, he did not reduce expenses commensurate with the $5.0 million cut. Maybe he will before years end. Second, he did this to force Duane Piper make the cuts or ask for the money back. Ted knows if Duane asks for this money back, he will be going back on his campaign promise to cut $5.0 million. Ted also knows this virtually eliminates any and all possibility to give the deputies a raise in 2013. Duane should stand by his campaign promises, eliminate the bloat that Ted had surrounding him for protection. Get rid of needless things like horses and all the associated expenses. It does NOT surprise that Ted would do something like this, but it certainly disappoints me that Ted would stoop this low. Just another example of why the man lost the Sheriff’s race.
Eddie Knight
October 8, 2012 at 6:24 am
I know Ted for a long time. He proved it in the 911 audio. He never said the boy was his own with his girlfriend. He goes on to blame her for the 911 audio call.Mc donald was a plant for a job in Teds circle. Drug seizure money is missing. Deputies setting up young kids. Deputies hunting for minor traffic violations. Now he is trying to hurt Mr. Piper with this multi million cut? This man Paxton is a bad man and so is the deputies he has let do what ever they want to to the citizens here. This man is one of the reasons me and my family will be gone after this election. THANK GOD. Eddie Knight.