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There has been much in the media recently regarding the fact that Bradley County is a growing community and this growth is expected to accelerate further with the influx of over 7,000 people related to the Volkswagen plant and support industries. The news stresses the need of not just keeping up with this growth, but getting out in front of it. This is the same message I have been stating for the last two years regarding public safety: We can’t wait until it’s too late to address the challenges and needs of an increasing population; we have to anticipate them, be proactive and develop solutions before they become significant problems. This is true for infrastructure, education, public safety, public works and many other areas.
A story in the Cleveland Daily Banner (Friday, September 5, 2008) reported that Bradley County Schools Data Analysis Coordinator Sharon Harper and Director of Schools Johnny McDaniel made a power point presentation to the School Board advising the county is in need of three new elementary schools, a middle school and more high school classrooms in order to keep up with the current growth rate. The article stated these new schools and classrooms are “an immediate need” based on the “current rate of enrollment growth.”
The population of Bradley County is already at or nearing the 100,000 mark. Other evidence of growth is that Bradley County has welcomed many major restaurants and national retail stores to the area this year and many subdivisions are springing up throughout the county. Other officials are beginning to publically note the rapid growth as well. In another Banner article (Monday, September 8, 2008), the police chief noted that with a growing population we can expect to see an increase in crime and pointed out the need to increase current levels of services.
In that same article, Cleveland Director of Public Works Tom Grant stated that, at this point, Bradley County is not prepared for the population influx. He said, “We don’t have the roads for it. We don’t have the schools in place for it. We don’t have police and fire in place for it.”
It is also very likely that a new veterans hospital will become a reality in Bradley County and this will help bring in other related medical businesses, restaurants, motels and service industries. The report from the county schools central office presentation quoted U.S. Census statistics that project by the year 2030 ~ 22 years from now ~ the population in Bradley County will be 138,607, and they pointed out this figure did not include the impact the Volkswagen plant and other support industries will have on the community population. There is no doubt that our community is rapidly changing.
With good planning and a cooperative effort between our elected officials ~ both city and county ~ this growth will be beneficial and positive for everyone. But along with population growth it will become necessary to build more schools, enhance our roads and infrastructure, increase law enforcement and other emergency services such as EMS, fire and rescue. We cannot cut corners when it comes to adequately funding these vital services and providing the necessary pay and benefits to attract and retain quality employees to help ensure public safety, good roads and top quality public education.
I found it very interesting to read another Banner article this past week (Tuesday, September 9, 2008) reporting that the county commission is considering hiring a part time assistant to help them do their job. They want to pay this part time assistant $30,000 per year plus benefits. This is close to or more than many full time teachers, firefighters, deputies and other county employees make. I have 64 full time employees at the BCSO that do not make $30,000 per year.
Keep in mind, this proposal comes from the same commission that told me repeatedly there was not enough funding to hire more deputies to keep up with county growth, man a metal detector at the courthouse, retire old dangerous patrol cars from service, or pay a competitive salary. They even went to court to prevent the BCSO’s hard working men and women who risk their lives in service to others from receiving a fair and decent wage based on the regional average and their city counterparts. They argued there was no money to pay employees without a tax increase. Then, following the court ruling, turned around and gave Whirlpool a million dollars without having to raise taxes. Now they want to hire a part time assistant for $30,000 a year plus benefits to do the job they were elected to do. The starting salary for a full time BCSO Corrections deputy is only $26,179 a year, almost $4,000 less than the amount they want to start their part time assistant. Every Corrections deputy works under high stress, dangerous conditions keeping murderers, rapists, armed robbers and drug dealers off the streets of our community.
No matter how they try to justify such a thing, it is wrong for them to continually deny other local public servants and their families a fair and decent wage on the one hand, and then turn around and pay a part time assistant $30,000 a year plus benefits to do their work for them. They should all be ashamed for even considering such a thing when full-time county employees make so little. As Commissioner Howard Thompson said, “It is ridiculous.” Any commissioner who would vote to hire a part time assistant and pay that assistant more than many hard working, full time county public servants does not deserve to hold elective office. I hope voters will consider this at election time.
Since taking office, I have been dutiful in developing a professional, effective and cost efficient operation that has become a model for this region in spite of the resistance I have encountered from other county leaders. This was brought out in open court by experts and is a matter of public record. All of our accomplishments were achieved by better utilizing existing personnel with minimal wage increases that remain significantly behind the regional averages for law enforcement agencies of similar size and responsibility.
The BCSO also brings in over $4 million each year to the county coffers and I was recently in Nashville supporting legislation that would bring in another $365,000 to Bradley County by increasing the amount the state reimburses the county for housing state inmates. So when you hear some county officials try to portray the BCSO as wasting resources when we ask for better wages to attract and retain quality employees, it is flat out deceitful politics. We are not wasting taxpayer money at the BCSO, we are actively and demonstratively saving taxpayer money and doing our very best to protect this community at the same time with very limited resources.
It was not wrong for me to follow the law and go to court on behalf of taxpayers to properly protect them with adequate equipment and resources in a growing community and it was not wrong for me to fight for working men and women who risk their lives in service to this community so they have the chance to make a fair and decent wage and support their families. What is wrong is for a commission to oppose and neglect adequate public safety needs in a growing community and oppose working men and women by not helping to provide decent wages and family insurance coverage for full time employees while they consider hiring for themselves a better paid, part time assistant.
And while I am on the subject of wasted tax dollars, the commission’s plan to purchase property for a county garage on Blue Springs Road for over $800,000 is nonsense. This $800,000 plus doesn’t include the additional money it will take to renovate, remodel and outfit the structure on that property to meet the requirements of a garage. Nor does it take into consideration the expense of staffing it with non BCSO employees or the loss of inmate labor. All one has to do is drive by the property to see it is largely swamp land and sits in a flood plain.
The BCSO is already operating a garage, staffed with full time BCSO employees who supervise a group of inmates that do a tremendous job of maintaining and repairing the BCSO fleet. They can easily handle the maintenance and repair of a few additional county fire trucks and ambulances at the existing location without having to spend the $800,000-plus on the Blue Springs property. None of the current garage property is in the flood plain and we are currently paying 27 percent of the lease costs with seized drug funds at no cost to taxpayers. This in and of itself is a very efficient operation. The current garage property is also for sale and does not require the additional expense of major renovations. Simply put, the Blue Springs property is a bad deal for taxpayers ~ the garage operation should stay where it is.
I am all for county growth and have no doubt we are up to the challenge. Bradley County has the potential to be a leader in this entire region. But we can only lead by continually moving forward, better utilizing our resources and putting the safety and well being of our community first.
You can contact us by calling (423) 728 7300, or writing to: 2290 Blythe Ave., SE, Cleveland TN 37311. If you would like to reach me directly, email me: comments@bradleysheriff.com |
