Originally posted by rcwj1975
ALSO TO ADD: Lets not forget the budgets are usually handled by greedy, dumba@@'s who think cutting public safety is the best route, yet allow
commissioners and other "department heads" to have salaries that are ridiculous....they need to learn where cuts SHOULD be made. Fire, Police, and
EMS should be the last places...not because I work in them, but its common sense. When is the last time a department head or county commissioner
making $100,000 a year came running to give CPR, put out a fire, or respond to a burglar in your home??????????
[edit on 2/6/2010 by rcwj1975]
You're absolutely right brother. I am running for County Commissioner where I live, although it doesn't pay $100,000 a year.
I live in a small town of about 13,000 and our annual tax base is $4.75 Billion a year.
I'm not sure about the City Police or Fire/EMS budgets, but I do know that our Sheriff's Department budget is $1.3 Million. I've heard some
grumbling goin on from some people about how it's too much money, but they honestly have no understanding on the matter. They just hear a million
dollars and act like it's coming straight out of their own pocket.
We're not a suburb and we're no where close to a big city or metro area. We're just a small town out in the middle of Texas. Our Fire and EMS
departments are not private. The only private EMS style service in our area would be the First Flight medical choppers, but we serve as more of a
response hub, so they're actually paying us to be here.
The law enforcement budgets are something that I am deffinately going to look in to when I get in to office, because I firmly believe that with an
annual tax base close to $5 Billion that we can afford to increase those budgets for more officers, more training, better equipment, new jail
facilities, better salaries, etc.
I have taken the time to speak with some of our local officers and there doesn't seem to be any particular issue that they think needs to be fixed,
as far as budgetary. The main complaint I hear is a lack of relationship between LEO's and the public. Which will be another area of concern that I
will address once I get in to office.
BTW .. Where do you live and what kind of pay/benefits do you receive? I'm just trying to find a comparison to base my thinking on.