Sheriff's Office asks for consideration during budget cutting
May 3—CUMBERLAND — As Allegany County officials continue to make cuts in an effort to erase a $13.1 million fiscal 2025 budget deficit, representatives of the Sheriff's Office are asking for consideration to avoid hiring freezes, operational cuts and a 50% reduction in overtime hours.
"If your citizens don't feel safe in their own community and their own homes," said Pat McAndrew, attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police, "then nothing else matters."
McAndrew spoke at the regular meeting of the Allegany County Board of Commissioners held Thursday at the Allegany County Sheriff's Office.
Public safety was the primary topic of the evening as numerous deputies and support personnel filled the meeting room to show solidarity against potential cuts impacting law enforcement.
The $13.1 million deficit was first disclosed at an April 18 budget work session conducted by the commissioners. At the work session, County Administrator Jason Bennett said overall revenues for the county are flat or down while expenditures are continuing to rise.
Money-saving measures agreed to so far by the commissioners include eliminating 20 county jobs. However, the commissioners believe most of those can be accomplished through requested retirements.
The commissioners implemented a hiring freeze effective May 1, which is expected to save $1 million in expenditures.
Although they have ruled out raising property taxes, other measures taken include increasing citizen water and sewer charges roughly 7% each. Commercial sanitary rates will be increased by 10%.
Other increases include passing on credit card fees to customers and increasing the 911 phone service fee from 75 cents to $2.
The county will also trim capital project expenditures by $1.9 million. Another significant cut will be a $2 million decrease in the operational budget for the 911 Emergency Communications Center that had been earmarked to receive $7.1 million.
The commissioners agreed to spread the cuts around by enacting a 10% across-the-board cut for all agencies that it funds except the Board of Education, including the Sheriff's Office. The cuts faced by the Sheriff's Office brought several people to the podium during public input.
"The county is at a crisis point because there are simply not enough uniformed deputies to patrol the streets of this county, not only that they deserve, but that they expect," said McAndrew.
"Currently there are 15 deputies working road patrol with one vacancy and one out on medical leave. Two additional deputies are expecting children and will need time. That leaves 11 deputies to cover 24 hours a day for seven days a week," he said.
According to McAndrew, officers must cover 430 square miles of roads. "They're working 12-hour shifts," he said. "They're stretched thin and they are exhausted. We have deputies that are understaffed and overworked and are just plain tired."
McAndrew said he feared response time could be impacted without additional personnel.
"Without public safety and the rule of law all the other programs don't matter," he said.
McAndrew said he would like to see the Sheriff's Office exempt from the hiring freeze or any layoffs and would like the county to add six additional deputies in 2025 and in 2026 for a total 12 new hires.
In closing the meeting, Commission President Dave Caporale thanked everyone for attending and said the suggestions made would be given consideration.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
