Sheriff Bill Barron asking for 20-mill levy increase

POLSON - Last Wednesday, the Lake County Commissioners unanimously decided to put the issue of increased funding for the Sheriff's Office on the November ballot.

According to their resolution, the current lack of funding "will affect the level of public safety services" in the county.

The funding problem stems from state legislation that allows counties to tax only five percent of new growth - no matter how fast that county is actually growing.

Lake County Sheriff Bill Barron is asking for a 20-mill increase, which would raise a little more than $1 million in revenue for his office.

The mill increase translates to up to $66 per year for a $100,000 home, or up to $132 per year on a $200,000 home.

The added revenue is desperately needed, Barron said in an interview Monday morning.

Right now, he pointed out, "we don't even have regular patrols for our deputies, because they're running from one call to the next. There are lots of days when emergency calls have to wait because deputies are already busy on other emergencies."

The mill levy would increase the number of deputies, Barron said. "It would add people and give some of them a raise, to make them more competitive in the job market.

"Currently we have four empty slots in the 911 center and in the jail, because we can't keep people, due to the wages we pay. Our dispatch and detention positions are extremely high stress, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, holidays, and weekends.

"They all have to go to school and pass academy courses," Barron continued. "These dispatchers are making life and death decisions on the phone. It's hard to find people."

The funding increase would raise dispatch and detention wages from the current $7.50 per hour to $9.50 per hour.

"The deputies will not get a raise with this," the sheriff explained. "They've said that they would rather have more help on the road rather than a pay increase. Trust me, this is something we desperately need. I am not going to waste taxpayer dollars. In two years, I will be running for sheriff again. If they don't like what I have done with that mill levy money, they can vote me out."

According to Barron, during the past five years the number of calls to the sheriff's office has doubled. "We can't keep up with normal operating needs," he said.

While he is well aware that 20 mills is a large increase, the sheriff commented that "we're growing like crazy and there's not enough revenue to keep up with the basic infrastructure."

According to him, the county budget woes all boil down to House Bill 184, which says that counties can collect 105 percent of the amount they collected the year before.

"It's been devastating here," the sheriff said. "This mill levy is our only chance to keep up with having competent law enforcement. If it doesn't pass, we honestly will have to cut services."

All three of the county commissioners are endorsing the mill levy, Barron said.

"They realize how important this is," he added. "I would love to talk to local organizations about this. I am definitely open to invitations."