QUEENSBURY -- Warren County supervisors heard Wednesday from state officials that the county jail's staffing levels are appropriate, prompting them to vote to fill two vacant correction officer positions amid a hiring freeze.
After members of the board's personnel and public safety committees met to talk about jail issues, supervisors turned their eyes to the Sheriff's Office road patrol, which has been the center of discussion for possible cuts in recent weeks in light of a $4 million budget deficit for 2010.
But a resolution calling for no further cuts to the Sheriff's Office law enforcement failed to pass Wednesday, leaving the door open for cuts to the road patrol as supervisors look to whittle down a projected 10.8 percent tax increase in the 2010 budget.
Terry Moran, a field supervisor for the state Commission of Correction, was among a contingent of three representatives of the state agency on hand for the meeting, which had been requested by the Board of Supervisors after some supervisors questioned the costs of the jail when compared to neighboring counties.
For instance, Saratoga County Jail holds nine more inmates but has nine fewer staff members, while Washington County's Jail operates at a 12 percent lower cost per inmate.
"We noticed a substantial difference between Warren and Washington counties," Glens Falls 5th Ward Supervisor William Kenny said. "What can we do to lower these costs?"
Moran, though, called the Warren County Jail a "well-run" facility operating within appropriate staffing levels based on a staffing review conducted when it opened in 2004. If it was reviewed now, the commission would likely call for increased staff, he said.
He said five part-time correction officers who Warren County employs are "over and above" what was required in the initial staffing review, but the county is employing the full-time number that the state had set.
Moran said comparing jail staffing levels is "apples to oranges."
"We don't compare because we consider each correctional facility unique," Moran said. "Staffing is critical. Buildings don't solve problems, people do."
The county risks losing permission to board inmates from other counties if it falls below minimum staffing levels, Moran said.
The jail's administrator, Capt. Michael Gates, said the higher costs when compared to Washington County are in part because Warren County's officers are paid higher salaries. Warren County also uses correction officers to transport inmates to court, while Washington County uses road patrol officers, he said.
The makeup of Warren County Jail is also different, and requires more correction officers than Saratoga County's does, Gates said.
After the jail discussion, supervisors turned their attention to the Sheriff's Office road patrol. Sheriff Bud York provided them with a detailed breakdown of how many officers work each shift and where they patrol.
The discussion ended with a proposed resolution by the public safety committee directing the Board of Supervisors not to cut the road patrol, but that resolution failed by a 4-3 vote.
"I guess we'll continue to look at the staffing," said Queensbury Supervisor-at-Large William VanNess, a former sheriff's investigator who introduced the resolution. "Now it's up to the ones who rejected it to figure out where they want to go."
Several upcounty supervisors said their constituents have told them they don't want cuts to police protection.
"They'd rather pay a little more for patrols, especially up north," said Lake George Supervisor Louis Tessier.
Three sheriff's officers took early retirement incentives this year, and at least one is expected to take it next year, York said. The sheriff's office had 51 road patrol officers in 2001, and is down to 45 now, York said.
"I don't believe we have an inordinate amount of patrol officers," York said.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 5:35 pm
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