Waco
– When the McLennan County Commissioners Court meets tomorrow
morning, they will consider a budget increase to care of prisoners
that exceeds the original by 75 percent.
According
to an amended budget request, Administrative Captain Paul Wash
explained the change this way.
“Prisoner population has increased above expectation at the time the budget was prepared.”(click here for an explanation of why this is so)
Capt.
Wash requested an additional $173,355 to the fund set aside to pay
for “outside care” of prisoners by CEC, Inc., by decreasing
administrative funds in six areas.
They
are:
Judicial
Liability Insurance - $37,000
Law
Enforcement Liability - $25,000
Auto
Liability Insurance $31,000
Bank
Service Charges - $25,000
Grant
Consultants - $40,000
Other
Purchase Services - $15,355
Total
Increase: $173,355
Amended
Budget: $1,773,635
There
is a lack of bunk space available in McLennan County due to the
closure for remodeling and refurbishment of the downtown county
lockup adjacent to the Courthouse, a facility that handles slightly
more than 300.
CEC,
Inc., operates this facility under a contract similar to the one by
which the operations of the Jack Harwell Detention Center are
arranged, a jail that handles a little more than 800 prisoners.
Under the terms of the contract, the corporation charges the Sheriff's Department $45.50 per prisoner per day to house the resulting overflow population thus not anticipated at the time the budget was prepared.(click here for a discussion of the matter)
Such
a deal, as they say on Seventh Avenue.
But these guys are merchants. They can get it for you - wholesale, as they say everywhere you go.
According to Shannon Herklotz, assistant director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, since 2009, "We've had a net gain of 14,000 beds (in county lockups) statewide." With 92,000 available beds, and a present county jail population of 72,000, there are 20,000 beds in surplus throughout Texas' 254 counties.
But this is not true in McLennan County, where the beds behind county bars are at a premium at $45.50 per diem.
But these guys are merchants. They can get it for you - wholesale, as they say everywhere you go.
According to Shannon Herklotz, assistant director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, since 2009, "We've had a net gain of 14,000 beds (in county lockups) statewide." With 92,000 available beds, and a present county jail population of 72,000, there are 20,000 beds in surplus throughout Texas' 254 counties.
But this is not true in McLennan County, where the beds behind county bars are at a premium at $45.50 per diem.
Should the increase be taken out the the Sheriff budget first, instead of taken it out of other budgets,what if they go over ,will the budget officer approve anything,I think its time that the auditor take over the budget.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the bill will be for may,how many has the Sheriff got this month in at jack harwell
ReplyDeletePlemons and Lynch obviously can't run their own budget. They aren't lawmen or administrators. They are dirty mudslingers; that is the only thing they are accomplished at. How long are the taxpayers going to tolerate such incompetence? They are an embarrassment to this county.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Lynch and Plemons can recruit the kid from Plemons TV ad, he seems to know more about what a Sheriff is. Or better yet, why don't we get to the polls and elect us a real Sheriff in Parnell McNamara. He has over 32 years experience as a Deputy US Marshal, 15 of those as Deputy in Charge of the Waco 13 county Division. That means he has more experience as an administrator then either Plemons or Lynch. Plus McNamara has a business degree from one of the top Business Schools in the country.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to continue to allow the current "administration" and I use the term loosely, of the Sheriff's Office to rob the taxpayers because they can't forecast a budget properly. Plemons built this campaign on being such a great administrator, yet he is no where to be found when the budget he has so proudly claimed to administrate comes crashing down. Maybe he should take lessons from Obama and blame Bush.
ReplyDeleteAs someone in business who knows how to read a budget, how is the county going to transfer this money to cover the Sheriff's Office's screwup from items that usually do not have a surplus? Isn't that going to cause those items to be short? Or has our shortsighted officials overlooked that along with Plemons horrible track record. I guess Plemons will just have another tasteless attack on Parnell or a member of his posse. That seems the only thing Plemons is good at, slinging mud. I'm embarrassed to such a morally corrupt individual can get so high in our Sheriff's Office.
I certainly can not speak loud enough to tell the voters of McLennan County to get to the polls and vote these corrupt "administrators" out of office once and for all.
Please spare me the continuous blah, blah, blah, randy and larry are crooks and cant run an administration. I have heard allegations of Sign tampering, businness owner intimidation, Employees being intimidated and threatened, Administration heads being detained for poaching in falls county, same one responsible for fatal crash while violating policy, credit card fraud and involvement with organized criminal figures concerning the 8 liners, fake swat team and lying about their REAL law enforcement experience. Refusing to serve warrants, letting prisoners go without authorization, Officers shooting themselves and the concrete unless they loose their gun in a public restroom, then promotions are given. Not backing their officers or rather throwing them under the bus if things look cloudy and threaten the powers @ be. YET NOONE SEEMS TO EVER OFFICIALLY CALL THESE PEOPLE OUT ON ANYTHING.....AMAZING. It just seems to be whispered about like old women @ the church social.....lower the hammer if you have the goods....other wise stop making the "Randy is a wimp" comments cuz it makes you all look like 5th graders...weve heard it. Shane warner is having something specifice to talk on 1230 Thurs. I personally will listen to this and then could give a SH** less if its brought up again. Vote and be done.
ReplyDeleteI guess Plemons and Lynch were too busy making new commericals to bash Parnell McNamara's dead mother or wife. What poor excuses for human beings our current Sheriff and his Chief Deputy are. They are the lowest easels on the face of the Earth. I'm sure they will have someone investigating my past for speaking out against them. It's no wonder they have so many unsolved cases.
ReplyDelete