POLITICAL HAY MADE OF DRUG SQUAD CUTS

County budget gave $300,000 less to the counter-narcotics team. Next week,
commission must decide whether to give that money back or cut officers.

Just call it Pete Liakakis's and Patrick Shay's "October surprise" - a
tantalizing bit of news released days before an election that's meant to
make voters think twice about their opponents.

The news?

In hastily voting for this year's flawed county budget, Frank Murray and
John McMasters failed to provide the counter-narcotics team with $300,000 it
needs to operate.

Now, according to a memo from County Manager Russ Abolt, funds will need to
be found or six officers will need to be moved from the drug squad.

Liakakis, who's running against Murray for county commission chairman,
called a press conference Friday morning on the steps of the Old Chatham
County Courthouse.

Flanked by Commissioners Joe Murray Rivers and Harris Odell Jr., he held up
Abolt's memo and called the shortfall a "real disservice to our citizens."

"We cannot leave our citizens at risk when we have the No. 1 drug-fighting
squad in this community," Liakakis said. "It's been said the 2005 budget is
balanced, well this budget is not balanced."

Later in the day, Patrick Shay issued a press release blaming the
commission's "gang of five" for creating yet another hole in the county
budget.

"Does the gang plan to dig into the fund balance to fix CNT, too?" he said.
"This has got to stop."

Shay, too, attached a copy of Abolt's memo to the press release.

However, neither Shay nor Liakakis distributed the entire memo, leaving out
a cover letter from Finance Director Linda Cramer that identifies money in a
vacant positions fund and reserve account that can be moved to close the
budget gap.

The issue will come before the commission at next Friday's meeting - after
the election.

Cramer has laid out two options for the board: Move the money from the other
accounts, or make cuts that include leaving two positions vacant and moving
six officers off the drug squad.

Murray said when he created the budget, he told staff he wanted $300,000 set
aside in a reserve account to be spent if needed for CNT.

Abolt said the commission was not clear about that intention in the budget
plan submitted to staff.

"We thought from the beginning that they cut $300,000, because we were
unable to determine where they put the money," Abolt said. "We're giving the
board options now. We're not recommending the cuts."

Murray called Liakakis's press conference a "political stunt," and said
he'll vote next week to transfer the money to close the gap.

"We're not losing any officers if I have my way," he said. "We would not
intentionally cut that money from CNT."

McMasters showed up at Friday's press conference.

He said Shay and Liakakis are ignoring the fact the drug squad is funded by
the county's general fund, which has an $8.1 million reserve, and special
services fund, which has a $9 million reserve.

McMasters said he's not opposed to using that money to help CNT.

"We're treating the fund balance in this election as if it's some sort of
lock box that can't be touched," he said.

Rivers, however, said that goes against sound fiscal planning.

"That money is non-recurring revenue, so you can't go in there to shore up a
budget because that same hole will be there next year," he said.