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Guest columnist, John Bartosh: The money belongs to the taxpayers

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  • Guest columnist, John Bartosh: The money belongs to the taxpayers

    Guest columnist, John Bartosh: The money belongs to the taxpayers

    By John Bartosh
    news@joplinglobe.com


    http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial...-the-taxpayers
    http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=6383#post6383

    JOPLIN, Mo. — I agree that voters need to know before voting in the primary election what the lawsuit filed by Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn is all about.

    It is somewhat unique because this is the first time in the history of Jasper County that a sheriff in office has sued his own county. It is not a surprise that the lawsuit is about money. It is the responsibility of the Jasper County Commission to manage the law enforcement sales tax proceeds of the sheriff?

    The answer is simple. According to Missouri state statutes, the commission is obligated to manage and budget all funds coming into the county treasury. Whatever the source of the revenue, it is all county money. It is all taxpayer money. The sheriff’s office enjoys the benefit of $8 million annually from the county treasury.

    In a column written to The Joplin Globe in 2006, Dunn admitted that there was concern about him getting a blank check, and agreed that the spending of the law enforcement sales tax funds would be governed by the oversight of the County Commission and the auditor. However, in discussions leading up to the 2010 budget, Dunn went back on that promise and publicly stated that “only he had control over the law enforcement sales tax.” A Globe editorial pointed out that it was the commissioners’ job to have oversight of those tax funds as approved by voters, and suggested the commission “step up and do its job.”

    That’s what the commission has done in recent years with respect to the grant application board and the use of some of the funding for smaller agencies within the county. There is a misunderstanding about the amount of funds controlled by the LEST grant board. It only manages $160,000 of the $3.7 million collected each year.

    Bill Fleischaker (Globe guest column, Aug. 2) is correct in that the County Commission started receiving complaints from law enforcement agencies that they were not receiving the benefit of the grants. Most complained that the grants were not awarded unless they benefited the sheriff’s office. In order to eliminate the conflict, the commission changed the composition of the grant board to not include any members of the sheriff’s department. Changing the composition of the board has worked. The commission has received only positive feedback from other law enforcement agencies that are now receiving the promised benefits of those grants.

    Other major issues in the lawsuit include who is responsible for the cost of the needed repair to the county jail and who pays for the cost of boarding prisoners outside of the county. Dunn takes the position that it is not his responsibility and that LEST funds cannot be used to pay for those costs.

    However, he promised taxpayers he would use some of the law enforcement sales tax proceeds to repair and upgrade the jail. He has had six years to do that.

    Ironically, when Dunn was campaigning for the tax, he took citizens through the county jail to show its deteriorating condition and the need for additional revenue. A Joplin Globe article quoted citizens who took that tour, saying it convinced them of the department’s need for more money.

    Dunn represented to the public prior to the passage of the sales tax that the funds were to be used for capital improvements to the jail, and he was correct. The Missouri LEST statute specifically provides provides that the law enforcement sales tax money can be used to make capital improvements for law enforcement facilities.

    The commission has tried to address those needs by contracting for a major renovation to the jail, including the jail locking system. Only a portion of that will be funded by LEST funds. A significant portion will be funded by other revenue sources the county has.

    Before 2011, the county had never incurred significant costs in boarding prisoners outside of Jasper County. When the 2011 budget was being discussed and implemented, no request was made by the sheriff’s office to the commission for funds for boarding the prisoners.

    Days after the county commission changed the members of grants application board, Dunn started shipping out prisoners in large numbers. From April to December of 2011, he incurred over $200,000 in prisoner boarding costs.

    In anticipation of the need to board prisoners in 2012, the Jasper County Commission allocated $300,000 of the sheriff’s budget for that purpose. Despite overcrowding, and despite the fact that he has the funds to pay for those costs, not one prisoner has been sent outside the county this year.

    Dunn now threatens to cut staffing if he doesn’t get what he wants; i.e., total and continued control over taxpayer money without checks and balances. The sheriff’s budget for employee salaries is higher this year than it has ever been. The commission recognizes the importance of a full staff of county deputies.

    The point is there is enough money to do it all. We don’t need to make the choice. We can board prisoners, we can repair the jail, we can add more cars to the fleet, and maintain the current number of deputies. Citizen protection will not suffer. We don’t even need a new tax or a new jail as advocated by the sheriff. We can live within our means with proper management and oversight.

    John Bartosh is the presiding Jasper County commissioner.


    All the shit unfit to print

    http://www.joplinglobe.com

  • #2
    Kaiser wins race for county sheriff

    Kaiser wins race for county sheriff

    By Susan Redden
    news@joplinglobe.com

    http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstorie...County-Sheriff
    http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=6403#post6403

    CARTHAGE, Mo. — Challenger Randee Kaiser won the Republican nomination for Jasper County sheriff over incumbent Archie Dunn in primary election balloting on Tuesday.

    Kaiser, currently assistant chief of the Carthage Police Department, garnered about 60 percent of the vote in a three-way race. According to complete but unofficial returns, Kaiser received 9,749 votes to 4,881 for Dunn and 1,466 for a third candidate, Larry Newman, a former sheriff’s deputy.

    Kaiser late Tuesday said he was “very pleased and excited” about the election results, and he credited “a great group of supporters” who worked in his campaign.

    He also said he was “humbled” by the margin of victory.

    “It shows people have put their trust in me, and I’ll strive not to disappoint them,” he said.

    With one exception, all the county races were decided among Republican candidates in Tuesday’s balloting. Kaiser will face a Libertarian candidate, John J. Karriman, in November, and the new terms will not start officially until January.

    Jim Honey, the incumbent, received 5,193 votes to win the race for Eastern District associate county commissioner over challengers Ron Hitchcock, with 2,618 votes, and Blane Mitchell, with 1,936 votes.

    Rob Chappel received 8,855 votes to win re-election as coroner. Scott Keatts had 5,738 votes.

    Denise Rohr was the winner by a 61-vote margin over Mary Lou Newman Teel in a three-way race for treasurer. Rohr received 5,754 votes, followed by 5,693 for Teel and 3,626 for Justin Baucom. The post is being vacated by Jeannie Wells, who is retiring. Both Rohr and Teel had worked as deputies in the treasurer’s office.

    Dunn was seeking his third full term as sheriff after being appointed to the post in 2003. Attempts to reach him by phone Tuesday night for comment were unsuccessful.

    Campaign spending among the three candidates for sheriff topped $100,000. Kaiser had the backing of John Bartosh, presiding county commissioner. Dunn and Bartosh had been allies earlier, but the sheriff and the commission have been at odds for more than a year, primarily in disputes regarding expenditures of revenue from the law enforcement sales tax. Dunn filed suit against the commission over that conflict and other issues, and the two sides have sparred frequently over the control of the sales tax funds, the sheriff’s budget, the jail and other issues.

    Those conflicts were cited by several Joplin voters as they left the polls on Tuesday.

    Lloyd and Sara Ditto, of Joplin, complimented work by Dunn to gain passage of the county’s law enforcement sales tax. But, they said they voted for Kaiser because they did not like the frequent fighting between the sheriff and members of the County Commission.

    “There’s been too much water under the bridge there; something has to change,” Sara Ditto said.

    Sara Pinjuv, of Joplin, said she also voted for Kaiser. She said Dunn had “served well, but I think the county is ready for a change, and I’ve heard a lot of positives about him (Kaiser).”

    Voter turnout Tuesday was nearly 24 percent.

    With 49 of 49 precincts reporting, unofficial returns from Tuesday's primary election are as follows:

    SHERIFF

    Republicans

    Archie Dunn 4,881

    Larry Newman 1,466

    Randee Kaiser 9,749


    All the shit unfit to print

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