CUTTING POSITION HINDERS METH EFFORT, SHERIFF SAYS

WHITE: Regional Meth Task Force Could Be Looking To Locate In Anderson County.

CLINTON - Although Anderson County Mayor Rex Lynch's county budget proposal
includes most of Sheriff Bill White's requests for next fiscal year, White
protested the elimination of $26,728 from a secretarial salary account
saying it would hinder fighting methamphetamine in the area. "Are we ready
to take a step backwards with it (the meth-fighting program)," Commissioner
Chuck Fritts asked in advocating that the secretarial account be increased
from Lynch's proposed $32,457 to White's $58,240.

But, Commissioner Myron Iwanski said the sheriff has the biggest budget in
the county general fund and he could find the money for the secretary's
salary within the budget if it was a priority.

"I think it should be funded by the county," White said. The Sheriff told
the county Budget Committee Thursday that the secretary's wages have been
paid for the last year and a half through a grant, but that grant is ending.

He said the secretary works as the secretary for the regional meth task
force, a job he described as one that calls for a great amount of paperwork
to be submitted to the various law enforcement agencies and U.S. Department
of Justice.

She also works as his personal secretary, along with being secretary to the
Civil Service Board. Budget Director Gail Cook said the secretary gets an
additional amount for serving as the board's secretary.

Describing the success of the meth task force in Anderson County, White
said 60 meth labs have been cleaned up. He added that Anderson County is
the headquarters for the multi-county task force and the head of the
program is looking to locate in the county and hire several local people.
Fritts said White's efforts against meth are recognized throughout East
Tennessee.

"Chuck (Fritts), that's the problem we have with grants," Commissioner
Rickey Rose said.

Rose explained that people's salaries shouldn't be tied into grants because
when the grants end the local government must take on the total cost or
layoff the employees.

"Our drug problem is going to continue to get worse," White said, adding
that the elimination of the secretary would slow down meth-fighting efforts
by slowing down the process.

Chief Deputy Lewis Ridenour pointed out the large number of citations
written by the Sheriff's Department, explaining that those citations bring
a large amount of money to the county for other budgets, an average of $190
each citation. Most Sheriff's Departments don't issue citations, he said.

"I hear what you're saying, but we put a million dollars of cold cash into
your department," Rose said.

Ridenour said the Sheriff's Department's budget and role has increased
greatly over the years, as has the ambulance service. Chief Deputy Mark
Lucas chimed in that no longer is Anderson County a rural area where the
Sheriff's Department might not get a call for several nights, but instead a
suburban area in which deputies are hard-pressed to get to every citizen
that calls for help.

White pointed out that one of his 22 patrol deputies had been called up for
military service because of the Iraq situation and four more are slated to
be called up soon for 18-month terms with the National Guard. When Rose
said the Sheriff would surely have to temporarily fill those vacancies
until the Guardsmen's return, White said that no one wants a temporary
assignment and few want a deputies' job in Anderson County because of the
low pay.

Iwanski said the Sheriff's Department budget had grown more since White was
elected than any other budget in the county.

"How far do you go? It's a tradeoff," Iwanski said. "Unless you're going to
fund a tax increase, how are you going to fund these things?"

The Sheriff's Department budget proposal is $2.6 million in 2004-2005
compared to $2.5 million this year. The proposed budget for the jail is
nearly $2.7 million for next fiscal year compared to nearly $2.5 million
this year.

Budget Director Gail Cook reminded Budget Committee members that a jail
consulting company will return to the County Commission with
recommendations on how to ease overcrowding at the jail. County officials
said they believe those recommendations may include expanding the jail.