Wayne Supervisors table Sheriff's proposal
By John Zornow, GateHouse Media

On Sept. 16, the Board of Supervisors pulled from the agenda a proposal to transfer funds to the Sheriff's budget, to create five Deputy Sheriff positions.

A plan by Sheriff Dick Pisciotti to add the deputies lacked support from key Supervisors, who want additional information on the proposal. The finance committee, consisting of David Lyons, Robert Plant, Bill Hammond, Jodie Bender, and Ken Lauderdale, had agreed to allow the Sheriff's proposal to go to the full board for debate.

Had the board approved the plan, some $300,000 would have been moved from contingency to cover this year's additional expense for salaries and equipment. It is estimated that the total cost of five additional deputies, vehicles, and needed equipment could add as much as $500,000 a year to the Sheriff's budget. 'This couldn't come at a worse time,' said Arcadia Supervisor Dick Colacino, a member of the public safety committee. 'It is well known that we have the highest taxes in the country, for me to support additional funding, I'd need much more information. I plan to meet with Sheriff Pisciotti and ask just where the added deputies would be used, and I plan to talk to the State Police and ask about their status.'

Colacino is concerned that state funding cuts would affect the county budget. Pisciotti sticks by his earlier statements that crime is up, and that he needs the additional manpower to serve the public.

'I am in the process of providing the Supervisors with a multitude of statistics to support my request,' said Pisciotti.

A special Supervisors meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, at 9 a.m. It will be held in the Supervisors Chambers in the Court House for the purpose of Ratifying the 2008-2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Wayne County Sheriff's Employees Association.

Other business:

A public hearing was held, regarding a proposed local law to provide for enhanced personal privacy protection for documents recorded in the County Clerk's Office; the law would authorize an increase in fees collected by the Clerk for the recording, entering, indexing, and endorsing of a certificate or instrument. No one from the public spoke for or against the proposal. The board voted to approve the changes and increases.

County Clerk Mike Jankowski said effective November 1, fees for recording a document will increase from $5 to $20 per page; charges for supplying recorded documents will go from $3 to $5 per page.

In other business:

The board authorized the disbursement of Snowmobile Trails Funding to Snowmobile Clubs. Earlier in the year, Walworth Supervisor Robert Plant opposed the plan, suggesting instead that funds be used for trail rules enforcement. Plant voted for the proposal with the understanding that funding is being sought for additional enforcement.

The board nixed a proposal by the economic development and planning committee to prepare an alternative use strategy use for Savannah Elementary School. Because of the nature of grant received for this study, the county had to be involved. Savannah Supervisor Ken Lauderdale, in urging Supervisors to vote no on the agenda item, believes the project will not use taxpayer money wisely, and he feels the study would be outdated before a project was started.

The board defeated, by weighted vote, a proposal to authorize travel expenses for four attorneys from the Public Defender's office, to attend training in Tampa, Florida in October. The cost would have been paid for by Department of Criminal Justice Services grants.

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